Helping hand
by DevilTito
Summary: When Souma and Erina start dating, Megumi finds herself trying to get over her crush on Souma. Then comes Kurokiba with a favor to ask her. / "How would you feel about pretending to be my girlfriend for a while?" Kurokiba asked calmly. Megumi was certain he must have misspoken, because it sure sounded like he was asking her to pretend dating him. "I'm sorry, what?"
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Should I be writing another story, when I have multiple unfinished wips? No. Did I do it anyway? Yes. Have I been obsessed with Ryo x Megumi lately? Also yes. Here is the fake dating au no one asked for. Enjoy.**

* * *

_Helping hand_

Megumi was cursed. She was cursed and bound to spend her entire life by herself. When she had finally admitted her tiny crush on Souma to herself, he had started dating Erina. It had been a long time coming, but somewhere in her heart, Megumi had harbored hope that Souma had a special spot for her.

Looking back, it was obvious that Erina was the one who held the special place in his heart. It had always been. From the beginning Souma had been hell-bent on making Erina acknowledge his cooking, and as Megumi thought back, he hadn't fought as viciously for anything else.

Still, finding out that her two friends had started dating made Megumi's heart clench painfully. It wasn't like Megumi had been ready to tell anyone about her crush, but hearing the news had broken something inside her. Maybe because of _how_ she found out. Souma hadn't mentioned it to her, nor had Nakiri-san when they spoke a few days prior. No, Megumi had found out through the school newspaper along with some of the Polar Star residents. It had been Ryoko who discovered the article as they were having breakfast one morning.

"Guys, you need to see this…" Her eyes were blown wide and scanned the pages with insane speed, causing everyone to look at her in concern. Marui and Ibusaki exchanged glances, while Megumi tried to catch a glimpse of the article. Yukihira, Aoki and Sato had yet to arrive and Isshiki had already left ahead of everyone else.

"What is it? Shokugeki? Riot? Another competition?" Yuki asked rapidly as she poured herself some orange juice. The people at Totsuki always had something cooking to surprise and challenge the students, so it was probably another trivial announcement.

"It says Yukihira-kun and Nakiri-san are dating." Ryoko barely managed to avoid the spray of juice that left Yuki's mouth. Megumi's spoon clattered to the floor, but she didn't notice. Her eyes shot to the newspaper in Ryoko's hands.

"WHAT!" Yuki all but shrieked, making everyone wince. She snatched the paper from Ryoko and quickly started reading out loud, not even bothering to clean up the mess she had created on the table.

"Spring is finally here, and with spring always comes young love! Totsuki's Ice Queen and headmistress, Nakiri Erina, is finally thawing! Who seems to be melting her frozen heart you ask? None other than last year's transfer student, oddball extraordinaire and 1st seat of the Elite 10, Yukihira Souma! The new couple was found canoodling at campus and when asked, admitted they had been dating for a while- what the hell?" Yuki sputtered indignantly and narrowed her eyes at the paper.

"Canoodling? Who even uses that word anymore?" Ibusaki asked over Yuki's sputtering. Megumi suddenly felt like a knife had been stabbed through her heart. What was going on?

"This has to be a joke right? Yukihira never mentioned dating Erinacchi! They would have told us first, right?" Yuki asked, now gaping at the article. She read, and then reread it, but her confusion only grew.

"I don't know, Yoshino. It is a private matter, and you in particular have a tendency to be extremely nosy." Marui commented and reached for the paper to have a look. His expression was neutral as he studied the article, but Megumi noticed the slight lift of his brows that indicated curiosity.

"But we're their friends! Shouldn't they have told us, before they went to the school paper? How is it private if they announce it to the entire school?" Yuki argued. Ryoko hummed thoughtfully, while Ibusaki simply shrugged. "Maybe they were found out by accident?" He suggested calmly, ever the voice of reason.

"But it still doesn't make sense! I call bullshit. We would have known if they were dating." Yuki insisted.

"Calm down, Yuki. Maybe they had a reason for keeping it secret? After all Nakiri-san has quite the reputation to uphold." Ryoko thought out loud. No one had noticed Megumi's silence, and she tried quelling the sudden anger and disappointment she was feeling.

"Whatever, we'll just ask Yukihira when he comes down." Yuki grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. Remembering her spilled juice, she reached for a few napkins and started wiping the table, muttering to herself.

"Just leave it be. We don't know all of the circumstances surrounding the matter." Ibusaki pointed out, which seemed to placate Yuki somewhat.

Conversation around the table came to a still as they all ate their breakfasts. Megumi didn't feel hungry any longer. Now that the initial shock had worn off, she took time to examine her emotions. She was hurt and disappointed that Souma hadn't told her anything, but she understood the need for privacy given their respective positions at Totsuki. She hadn't even known that Souma liked Erina as more than a friend, or that Erina reciprocated those feeling.

It was so sudden, and it didn't explain why Megumi felt tears stinging her eyes. She discreetly wiped her eyes with her sleeve and finally noticed that she had dropped her spoon earlier, quickly picking it up and wiping it with a napkin. Megumi had more or less regained control of herself when Souma came strolling into the dining area a few minutes later, but the sight of him sent another pang of pain through her chest.

"Yukihira, explain yourself!" Yuki demanded the second she saw him and shot out of her seat. Souma seemed surprised and looked everyone over. "What's going on? Explain what?"

"This article!" Yuki shoved the paper into his face and Souma stepped back to read as he grabbed the edges. Everyone around the table waited with bated breath for him to confirm or deny the claim in the newspaper.

"Oh that. Yeah it's true." He simply said and placed the paper on the table, not noticing the incredulous stares directed at him. His eyes scanned the page quickly and a small smile appeared on his face. Megumi heard his words, but they didn't quite register in her brain.

"What?" She finally asked, her voice shaking slightly. That seemed to catch the attention of her two girlfriends, whose expressions simultaneously shifted from confusion to concern. They might have been unaware of the tumult Megumi felt, but they could tell that something was off right away.

"Yeah, sorry for not telling you guys, it must have slipped my mind." Souma shrugged and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, before taking a seat next to Marui.

"Slipped your mind? How long has this been going on?" Yuki asked with a raised brow. No one else said anything, all too busy trying to process the scene in front of them.

"Since last week I guess?" Souma bit into his apple. Yuki fought to remain calm.

The temptation to rip into Yukihira was great, but she knew he was nothing but an honest idiot, who most likely _had_ forgotten. Instead, she took a deep breath and sat back down. When the guys finally changed the topic and included Yukihira in their conversation, Yuki exchanged glances with Ryoko, who had been busy watching their unusually quiet friend.

"Megumi, is everything okay?" Ryoko touched her arm and Megumi jumped. She could feel her friends' concern, but she needed a moment alone to clear her head.

"I… I have to go. I need to drop by the Regional Cuisine RS before class. Congratulations, Souma-kun." Megumi spoke stiffly and fumbled with the strap of her book bag, but her red haired friend didn't seem to notice her tone. He merely turned to her with a wide grin on his face that sent a stab of pain through her.

"Thanks Tadokoro!" He waved cheerfully as she sped out of the room.

Once outside, Megumi took a few calming breaths. She would _not_ break down. Sure, finding out that they were dating had been unexpected, but she was in no position to be upset. She hadn't never even intended to tell Souma about her feelings, so this was actually a blessing in disguise. Now Megumi could get over this silly crush and focus on her goals of improving her cooking.

With renewed resolve, Megumi retrieved her bike and set her course for the main campus, intent on getting through the day without any more surprises.

* * *

It had been nothing short of a grueling day. Of course every student at Totsuki had read the newest gossip in the school paper, and they were sending Megumi pitying, confused or downright disappointed looks. She had thought nothing of it in the morning, but once lunch came around it was hard to ignore all the stares.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" She whispered to Yuki and Ryoko as they sat in the cafeteria for lunch. She could feel numerous gazes on her, but they quickly disappeared when she looked up.

"They probably thought you and Yukihira-kun would end up together and are watching your reaction." Ryoko's gaze swept across the tables in the vicinity, and she too noticed how people averted their eyes very quickly.

"What?" Megumi's voice was small. Ryoko's words sent a fresh wave of pain through her, when she was reminded of her crush. People had been thinking that?

"Well you guys have practically been attached at the hip since Yukihira transferred in." Yuki supplied helpfully. Despite the truth her words held, it didn't stop Megumi's insides from twisting painfully.

"That's not true…" Megumi protested weakly. She felt a bitter stab of betrayal, thinking about how Souma had kept quiet about his relationship.

"It just seemed like you were particularly close." Yuki argued, before adding in a hushed voice, "Poor Nikumicchi, I wonder how she is holding up." It had been quite a while ago that they discovered the blonde's feelings for their dense dorm mate. They didn't imagine she was taking it well. Despite her tough exterior, Mito Ikumi was a sensitive girl at heart and her connection to Erina would only add fuel to the fire.

"Do you think we should reach out to her?" Ryoko asked thoughtfully. Nikumi had been in love with Yukihira for so long, it was going to be awful for her and she would probably need some support.

"Maybe we should give her some space?" Yuki suggested slowly. She wanted to support their friend, but as Marui had said earlier, this was a very sensitive topic and they didn't want to pressure Nikumi. Megumi silently agreed that it would be better to wait a little, though she briefly considered sending her a message and invite her to tea.

"Let's see how it goes." Ryoko finally conceded, still frowning.

The next two days it only went downhill. The incessant whispering was getting out of hand. Megumi had caught a glimpse of Nikumi only once, and while her head was held high, Megumi didn't miss how her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Nikumi smiled weakly and waved to her from afar, and Megumi's heart went out to the blonde girl. She had thought about her friend for a long time after that.

The way Nikumi carried herself just after having her heart broken was oddly inspiring. Megumi had come to the conclusion that she would keep her crush on Souma a secret from the other girls at the dorm. She had been meaning to tell them at some point, but now there was simply no reason to. She loved her friends, she really did, but she also knew them very well. Yuki would no doubt scold her for not acting and missing her shot, and Ryoko would give her advice on how to move on, and more than anything Megumi wanted to avoid their pitying looks. The faster she buried these feelings, the better.

* * *

**Megumi will be having a hard time for a while, so be easy on her. Until next time! (=w=)/**


	2. Chapter 2

All the speculation about love triangles, squares, pentagons or whatever was ridiculous and it was driving Megumi mad. The school paper kept mentioning Souma and Erina, and theorizing how and when their relationship came to be, completely ignoring the privacy of the couple. The wild guesses had spread to nearly the entire student body, and it was obvious that they weren't stopping anytime soon.

Someone had planted the idea that the members of the Elite 10 were currying favor with the headmistress to seize absolute control over the entire school, which was why Souma targeted Erina. Others claimed it to be a publicity stunt or an act of rebellion from Erina's side. It was even suggested that Souma was a player, and that several girls were trapped under his spell including Erina and Megumi.

When the third school day finally ended, Megumi wearily made her way to the bike racks. Yuki and Ryoko hadn't been in her last class of the day, so she was on her own for the ride home, which actually suited her just fine.

All the gossip was slowly wearing her down and Megumi just wanted to take a long shower and scrub away all the drama and rumors. Maybe she would even light one of her new scented candles to soothe her frayed nerves. She was speculating what candle to light when she spotted something unusual.

Kurokiba Ryo was standing to the side of the main entrance, gazing intently at people passing by... and scribbling in a tiny notebook. He spent a few moments looking out over the small crowds leaving campus, and then looked down and wrote something in his book.

Upon closer inspection, it looked like he only wrote something when girls passed by him, which was alarming. Kurokiba was many things, but he was definitely not a creep. Taken aback by the entire situation, Megumi didn't notice that she had walked right over to him. Now that they often worked together in the Elite 10, she didn't really find him scary and had no qualms about walking up to him.

"What are you doing, Kurokiba-kun?" She asked and glanced at his notebook. He turned to see who had approached him and merely nodded in acknowledgement when Megumi made her presence known.

"Just taking notes." He replied in his usual drawl and returned to observing people. He really was scanning the crowds and writing observations.

"On girls?" Megumi couldn't help the accusatory tone in her voice. He looked at her over his shoulder and scowled, before looking back down in his book.

"On potential candidates." Kurokiba answered as if it was obvious. She had no idea what he was talking about, and did not want him to elaborate. Satisfied that he was in fact, not just spying on girls, Megumi decided she didn't want any part in whatever he was doing, and quickly made her escape.

"Okay then. See you around!" She called out to him as she headed back to the bike rack. With her back turned, she didn't notice Kurokiba's eyes following her until she was out of sight.

* * *

A week had almost passed since the reveal of Totsuki's new power couple as the newspaper club had dubbed them. Things were relatively peaceful around the dorm, and Megumi was glad that the atmosphere had mellowed out. Yuki had given Souma an earful after all, pissed that he had kept such a big secret for a week, and he had apologized to everyone, clearing the air between them.

Megumi herself was having a hard time being around Souma. She wasn't outright avoiding him, but she definitely stopped seeking him out. She was still a little mad that he hadn't told her about Erina and figured that keeping her distance would allow her to cool down. It wasn't like Souma really noticed. He was a natural airhead after all.

"You'll have to forgive him sometime." Ryoko had said to her one day during breakfast. Megumi knew that, she really did, but she just wasn't ready to face him properly. She wanted to stew in her resentment for a little while longer, before she let go of it.

Megumi started sitting as far away from him as possible and made sure she left the dorm before him. She was lucky that they barely shared any classes at the moment and that Elite 10 work had been kind of slow. A few days passed like this and Megumi slowly returned to being herself. She still didn't seek Souma out, but she stopped avoiding him and went back to conversing with him little by little.

Erina had joined them for dinner one night and to say it had been a tense affair was an understatement. Hisako had been unable to come and so Erina was on her own for once. Despite having stayed at the dorm for a while, Erina was incredibly stiff and awkward at the beginning of the meal, constantly fidgeting and stumbling over her words. Yuki and Ryoko had insisted she be seated next to Souma, despite Erina's loud protests.

Megumi had conflicting feeling throughout the entire affair. On one hand, she was finally realizing that it was real and that she no longer had a chance with Souma. It hurt every time she looked at him and saw him beaming at Erina. On the other hand, Megumi felt so bad for Erina who looked positively ill. She looked like she wanted to run away and never return, and Megumi couldn't blame her for one bit.

Still, it was hard for Megumi to act normally around them. Seeing them sitting together made her both happy and sad, but most of all, it just hurt that they hadn't told her. Megumi sighed and pushed her food around her plate, thinking of a way to stop feeling resentful towards her two friends. She really didn't feel like eating, but she also knew she couldn't just excuse herself without being questioned as to why she was leaving. Silently wishing for the evening to be over, Megumi looked around the table once again.

The boys were all chatting casually, or at least trying to, but with Erina so visibly distraught it was hard to maintain a light atmosphere. Souma was completely oblivious to her discomfort and was talking animatedly with Marui and Isshiki. The girls tried hard to include Erina in conversation, but she only spoke when asked a question, and replied with as few words as possible, which did nothing to lighten the mood.

Surprisingly it was Aoki and Sato that brought back the sense of normalcy that everyone was trying hard to obtain. By chance they were seated next to each other, and they had been surprisingly quiet for a while, when their usual bickering started up again.

"I could totally fight a bear!" Aoki glared at the blond boy to his side. They had been going at it all day, completely oblivious to the tension in the room.

Sato glared at him, "As if! The bear would run away the second it saw your ugly mug!"

"What's that? You wanna go, you punk?" Aoki challenged and stood from his chair, food and company forgotten. Sato shot up as well and cracked his knuckles in menacing display.

"Bring it!" The two started their usual brawl, which inevitably resulted in Marui getting struck by accident and landing face first in his bowl of soup, splashing those closest to him.

"Hey! Pipe down or take this outside!" Fumio-san scolded, a vein visibly throbbing near her temple. Isshiki and Ryoko tried placating her, but the two fighting boys missed her warning and suddenly found themselves grabbed by the ears and forced apart.

Erina burst into laughter, and just like that everything was back to normal.

Later that night the girls all went upstairs together to talk. Erina was doing much better and had hinted that there was something she wanted to discuss with them, so the girls all went to Ryoko's room and settled in for the rest of the night.

Megumi felt weird. She wasn't sick, but there was an odd sense of trepidation in her chest. She briefly considered feigning illness to go back to her room, but she was still Erina's friend and wanted to help her with whatever she needed.

Souma had looked like he wanted to join them, but had eventually relented after being faced with the impending consequences of interrupting 'Girl Talk'. Megumi pretended not to see how Erina visibly relaxed when Souma backed down and let the girls leave.

Yuki wasted no time once the door closed behind her and rounded on Erina, poking her in the chest, "All right, Erinacchi, spill. Tell us everything." The girls all got seated around Ryoko's coffee table as she brought out drinks and paper cups.

"Um, what do you want to know?" Erina was already turning red at the prospect of sharing _everything_.

"How, when, why- all of it!" Yuki rubbed her hands together with glee, and Erina did her best to fight off her rising blush. Megumi watched how Erina seemed to fidget again and wanted to reassure her that Yuki was just being nosy and no one would pressure her to share more than she wanted.

"Nakiri-san, you don't have to share every single detail." She smiled kindly, or at least tried to. Something was off with her smile and the weird feeling in her chest hadn't diminished in the least. Erina looked at her gratefully, but she was still blushing faintly. Megumi grabbed her drink to busy herself and didn't speak again.

"What did you want to talk about?" Ryoko asked in an attempt to rein Yuki's curiosity in. Erina was still very new to having close girlfriends and could easily feel awkward.

"I wanted your advice on something." She started off slowly, looking down at her lap. She seemed to be having an internal battle and started nervously picking at the hem of her skirt.

"On what?" Ryoko asked and pinched Yuki, who was about to jump up in excitement. Yuki sat back down with a pout and muttered something under her breath.

Ryoko also spared Megumi a curious glance, but didn't comment on anything. She had noticed that Megumi's behavior had been off for a few days, and hoped that Megumi would get a chance to talk it out with all of them here. But first, they had to listen to what was on Erina's mind.

Once Erina seemed to have chosen her words, she still hesitated for a moment before she squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to ask. "What do you do when you're in a relationship?"

All three girls looked at Erina in surprise. The poor girl was blushing so hard, they were afraid she would combust. Megumi, Ryoko and Yuki exchanged glances and then turned to Erina, ready to share their knowledge. Ryoko and Yuki did most of the talking and brought out magazines and novels for reference, but Megumi rarely piped in. She was busy analyzing the weird feeling in her chest that seemed to have deflated as Erina asked her question.

Megumi realized she wasn't being a very good friend. Erina had all but bared her soul for them, asking their advice and Megumi was barely even listening. It wasn't fair to Erina that Megumi still hadn't processed her mixed feelings of sadness and anger.

An image of Nikumi flashed through Megumi's mind and reminded her of the blonde's dignity and self-respect. What was she doing being angry about something trivial, when her friend needed her support? Steeling herself, Megumi decided to let bygones be bygones and to do what she could to help Erina.

The rest of the night was spent reassuring Erina that she could go at her own pace and that she was welcome to ask for advice. Several magazines and manga were brought in for reference, and the girls stayed up navigating the tricky waters of dating.


	3. Chapter 3

When Megumi had thought that the hype and gossip about Souma and Erina would die down after a few days, she had underestimated how much people thrived off drama. She also hadn't thought that people would keep bringing her into the equation and fanning the flames. It was like they were desperate for a love triangle, which was not only ridiculous, but also very rude to all the parties involved. After she had gotten over her feelings of hurt and anger, Megumi had been able to properly congratulate her two friends and be sincerely happy for them.

She really was happy for them. Souma brought out the parts of Erina that she had hidden away for so long, and she helped ground him and look towards a clear goal. Of course, they still squabbled like always, but it wasn't hard to see the affection they had for one another. They were good for each other, and that was really all that mattered. Sure, Megumi had gotten her feelings hurt, but it wasn't like she had ever let them be known, so she tried to quietly deal with her lingering feelings for Souma. It had worked just fine for the past week, but all it took was one single moment to break her.

She had almost been back to normal until she saw them together in the hallway during lunch. They were walking slowly, hand in hand, and completely absorbed in their own little world. Erina's cheeks were flushed and Souma leaned close to her ear and whispered something. The intimacy of that act made Megumi feel like an intruder, and she felt her throat close up at the sight of their closeness.

They were at the far end of the hallway moving in her direction and Megumi felt the urge to flee. She was a horrible friend. A horrible friend, who couldn't stop staring wistfully at them and envying their bond. She did not want them to see her. She didn't want to endure seeing them so happy together when she was being torn to pieces on the inside.

They were coming closer. A few more seconds and their paths would cross. She had to get out of there now. Megumi looked left and right frantically, hoping she could duck into an empty classroom or go down another corridor. Maybe she should turn tail and run back in the direction she came from? Anything to get her away unnoticed. She looked back towards Souma and Erina, trying to gauge the remaining distance between them. They were still far away, but they could look up at any moment and spot her. Megumi's view was obscured by the body of Kurokiba Ryo, who appeared out of nowhere and startled her out of her thoughts.

He must have seen the panic on her face or something else that caused his brows to knit together in concern. He took one look over his shoulder and grabbed Megumi's hand, pulling her into a corridor that she had completely missed in her desperate search of a hiding place. How had she missed an entire corridor? Luckily, it was almost deserted and Kurokiba stopped with his back against the wall, right next to her. Megumi could feel his eyes on her, but didn't dare look at him.

She could hear Souma's voice clear as day and estimated that he would pass by in a matter of seconds. Megumi did her best to flatten against the wall, hoping and praying that she wouldn't be seen by Souma or Erina. Almost as if sensing her thoughts (or answering her prayer), Kurokiba placed himself so that Megumi was shielded from view with his body.

She looked up just in time to see Souma passing by with an expression of pure joy and adoration on his face that made her throat close up and eyes sting. Megumi remained as still as possible until Kurokiba moved back a little, which she took as a sign that Souma was gone.

The relief that flooded Megumi was quickly replaced by guilt and embarrassment, and she felt ashamed that she had gone to such lengths to hide from her friends. Even worse was the fact that she had reacted so strongly to their small display of affection. It was pathetic. And yet, Megumi couldn't get the sight of Souma's expression out of her mind.

She had no idea what was going on any more. Why did seeing them together hurt her so much, when she was supposed to be happy for them? Her thoughts muddled together and nearly caused her knees to give out, so she braced herself against the wall and took a deep breath before straightening up. That was when she remembered Kurokiba standing in front of her. When she finally met his gaze, he seemed to be observing her calmly.

"You good?" He asked by way of greeting, causing her to look at him in confusion, but nodding nonetheless.

"I've been looking for you, Tadokoro." She was surprised to hear that, and also perplexed that he didn't question her about what had just transpired.

"You have?" Megumi had no idea why he would be looking for her. Had she forgotten a meeting? No, she would have written it in her daily planner if she had any meetings to attend.

"I have a proposition for you that I think you will find to be mutually beneficial for us." Kurokiba leaned casually against the wall, still facing her. A proposition? What was he talking about?

"What do you mean?" Megumi's interest piqued. It was unusual for Kurokiba to seek her out like this outside of Elite 10 work, and she couldn't help but be curious about what he had in mind.

"You know how Yukihira and Miss Erina started going out?" She nodded. How could she not, she thought somewhat bitterly.

Kurokiba continued, "Alice decided that since Erina has a boyfriend, she also needs a boyfriend. So Alice has been nagging me all week that she can't get a date, because I apparently scare people off," he scoffed lightly, "so I've been trying to figure out how remove myself from the equation." He explained and ran a hand through his hair. She motioned for him to go on, trying to follow his train of thought.

"And I've come to the conclusion that if I was with another girl, more people would approach Alice and she would stop yapping once she got a date." His reasoning made sense. A lot of people thought that Kurokiba and Alice were in a relationship, and probably didn't ask Alice out because of him.

"Probably," Megumi agreed.

"That's why I spent the past few days looking for potential candidates." Kurokiba continued slowly, choosing his words carefully. Megumi remembered when he had been taking notes on girls the other day, and assumed that was the reason.

"Okay?" Maybe he needed more information on one of the girls and wanted to ask Megumi. Not that she was particularly close with girls outside the Elite 10 or the dorm. He paused again and gazed at her intently, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

"How would you feel about pretending to be my girlfriend for a while?" Kurokiba asked calmly. Megumi was certain he must have misspoken, because it sure sounded like he was asking her to pretend dating him.

"I… I'm sorry what?" Megumi had read her fair share of shoujo manga and romance novels, but she had never expected to hear anyone suggest fake dating in real life. Did people really do that? She couldn't help but wonder. And Kurokiba of all people was asking her. Maybe he had lost his mind?

"The way I see it, this is a win-win-win situation. All the rumors about you being in a love triangle would stop, Alice would stop nagging me about everything, and you would get over your broken heart." Kurokiba continued without missing a beat.

Megumi blinked a few times, slowly registering his words. She had a broken heart. That was why she was feeling and acting so weird around Souma and Erina. It made so much sense, she almost laughed out loud. Megumi looked at Kurokiba, wondering how he had reached that conclusion, but before she asked she refocused on what he had suggested. A niggling in her mind made her blurt out the question that had just formed in her mind.

"Why don't you take Alice-san on a date yourself?" The look Kurokiba shot her made her regret opening her mouth. He looked exasperated and just a little repulsed, which Megumi would have found amusing under different circumstances. She mumbled an apology and looked down at her shoes, thinking. Since he didn't want to date Alice himself, he was willing to pretend to date someone else? That was… admirable and concerning at the same time.

He sighed and pushed some of his bangs away from his face with the heel of his hand, the motion catching Megumi's eyes. She had never seen him do that before and she thought it might be one of his nervous ticks. Now that she looked a little closer, she could see worry lines etched in his face and the bags under his eyes were even more prominent than usual, and that was saying something.

It occurred to Megumi that he must have been feeling desperate or extremely frustrated to ask her something like this. The least she could do was hear him out.

"Won't it be difficult to manage your secretarial duties along with a girlfriend?" Megumi asked curiously. Kurokiba usually had his hands full as Alice's aide and part of the Elite 10, not to mention all the shokugeki's he got challenged to. How did he intend to juggle everything at once?

"Doesn't matter, I'll find time for both." He sounded determined, and it seemed like he had given it some serious thought. Megumi sighed and searched his eyes for any hint of dishonesty or malicious intent, finding nothing but calm. He didn't seem to be lying and Kurokiba was not the type to play pranks.

"Why ask me?" She was genuinely curious about his answer, but she was also afraid that it might sway her to accept his insane plan. He had seen right through her and noticed her broken heart. He wouldn't hold that as leverage against her, would he? No, definitely not.

"You're the best suited candidate I could think of, and it would make sense if you and I got together." She had not expected that to be his answer.

"It would?" How on Earth would that make sense? She remembered Yuki saying something about rivals-turned-lovers and quickly dispelled the thought.

"We're both in the Elite 10, we have history and we have a lot of things in common. It would be a believable cover." Kurokiba rationalized, counting off on his fingers.

Megumi was at a loss of words. First of all, she was surprised at how much thought he had put into it. Second, she was a little scared that his reasoning made sense to her. It was just so absurd.

Quickly recounting their entire conversation, Megumi re-examined Kurokiba's points. As crazy as it sounded, his plan was tempting. It would cause new rumors for sure, but at least these rumors wouldn't involve her in a harem or a ploy to take over the school. No, they would circulate for a while and then die down if she and Kurokiba turned out to be a boring couple, which seemed to be the goal anyway.

And yet, something held her back. Pretending to date him sounded an awful lot like lying to everyone around them, and Megumi wasn't sure she could agree with that. Perhaps they could figure out a way to avoid outright lying.

Looking up at Kurokiba once more, Megumi took note of his tense shoulders and stiff posture. He had been quiet as she thought it over, not demanding an answer right away, but as Megumi looked into his eyes, she was certain she saw a glint of hope. It wasn't like he had asked just anybody. He had come to her for help with his situation, and the thought made her feel warm inside.

Despite the rational part of her brain telling her that it was a bad idea, Megumi was so tired of everyone's pitying looks and the rumors circulating around her that she was honestly considering going along with Kurokiba's scheme.

If she did, she would become his girlfriend for an unspecified amount of time. It would be wrong to deceive their friends and the rest of the school, but when she thought about it, it didn't sound so bad. She would be helping Kurokiba out, and maybe it was the perfect distraction she needed to go back to being herself. Maybe she would finally be at peace.

In a moment of absolute insanity, she agreed.

"Welcome aboard." Kurokiba grinned victoriously.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for the feedback so far! I'm aiming for semi-weekly updates, but this is the last of my pre-written chapters, so now I'll write as I go. Enjoy!**

* * *

Hours later, when Megumi had finally come to terms with her insanity, she texted Ryoko and Yuki and asked them to come to her room. She was nervous about breaking her new relationship to them and feared their reaction. Logically, Megumi knew that they would take it well after the initial shock, but she was scared that she wouldn't do a good enough job to convince them that she really had a boyfriend now. The thought of having a boyfriend still felt bizarre to her, and she wasn't sure she would get used to the feeling right away.

Earlier that day, Megumi had met up with Kurokiba after classes ended to figure out how they were going to proceed. They met in one of the empty practice kitchens, and Megumi was pleasantly surprised that he had a steaming cup of tea ready for her when she arrived.

"Hey." He nodded to her from his seat as she joined him. He was slumped over his own cup of tea and he was rubbing his temple with one hand.

"Hi. Are you okay?" Megumi shot him a worried glance. While he didn't look as exhausted as he had during lunch, she could still see the tension in his shoulders.

"I'm fine," he sighed loudly. He didn't look fine, but Megumi decided to let it go and just keep an eye on him. She took a sip of her tea and relished in the warmth that spread through her insides. It had a pleasant smell that faintly tickled her nose when she took another sip, and Megumi found that she really enjoyed it. It was silent between them as they both sipped their teas for a while.

Megumi considered breaching the topic for a little bit, but since she didn't really know what to say, she kept quiet and waited for her companion to make the first move. She subtly watched him over the rim of her cup, and noted that he seemed to be deep in thought. She didn't remember ever seeing him so focused. Maybe he had expected her to refuse and hadn't actually thought of a concrete plan?

Kurokiba broke the silence a minute later, "Alright, let's get down to business. How do you wanna do this?"

They spent the next hour talking it over and eventually decided on their approach. The story they were going with was pretty close to the truth and neither of them had any problem with modifying it a little. They decided that Ryo had asked Megumi out after being somewhat inspired by Souma and Erina, and that Megumi had accepted.

They agreed to sit together in classes and at lunch, and as often as possible they would walk home together. The more they were seen together, the easier it would be to convince the crowds that they were in fact dating. Of course, they would have to show some degree of intimacy, but Megumi wasn't really bothered by that as long as it didn't go past holding hands and hugging.

It was also crucial that Alice didn't suspect them of pretending. They had to be wary of her temper, since there was no way of predicting her reaction to Ryo having a girlfriend. If everything went well, she would take it in stride. If not, she might feel insulted that her aide was dating when she was still single and the worst case scenario was Alice discovering that Ryo was doing it for her sake, and thinking he was pitying her. That was the most troublesome outcome and Ryo wanted to avoid it at all costs.

Then was the matter of actually telling others, which was what led to Megumi waiting anxiously for Yuki and Ryoko to arrive. She glanced at the clock beside her bed once more, wishing her friends would hurry up so she could get it over with. Her nerves were getting to her and she found herself pacing the floor, doubting that she could go through it.

Megumi had debated heavily whether to tell them the truth or not.

They were her closest friends and they deserved to know the truth, but it would be very hard to keep track of who knew what if she didn't tell everyone the same thing. Megumi remembered the stress lines on Kurokiba's face when he had first pitched his idea and felt a pang of sympathy for him.

It would be better if everyone was kept in the dark until they could stop pretending, but Megumi didn't want to hide the truth from Ryoko and Yuki. Kurokiba had told her he didn't mind if she told them the truth, just as long as they were sworn to secrecy. She started pacing the floor again, weighing her options once more.

The buzz of her phone caught her attention and she swiped it off the table in a hurry. Unlocking the screen, Megumi saw a text from Kurokiba and she felt her heart rate pick up. Had he decided to call off the whole thing? Had he found someone else to be his fake girlfriend or had he decided not to go through with it at all? Would she have to think of another reason to call her friends to her room? When she finally read his message, she calmed down a little.

_Kurokiba-kun: Don't fret too much and just tell them as much as you feel like. You'll do fine. _

Megumi felt strangely encouraged by his words and stopped pacing momentarily. Just as she was about to reply to Kurokiba, she heard approaching footsteps and muffled voices from outside of her room. She quickly put her phone back down and opened the door when she heard the girls knocking.

"What's up Megumi? What was so important that you couldn't tell us downstairs?" Yuki asked as she entered and headed directly for the bed, plopping down face first and stretching out her limbs.

"I'm also curious about it." Ryoko admitted and went to sit on the floor next to the bed, which left the chair open for Megumi, who sat down thinking of the best approach.

"I need to tell you something." Megumi started slowly, still debating how much to tell them. Maybe it was best if they knew the truth.

"Ooh, are we spilling secrets tonight?" Yuki perked up and lifted herself onto her arms. She had a curious glint in her eyes that spelled trouble for Megumi.

Ryoko's watchful eyes turned to the blue-haired girl and she nodded encouragingly. Megumi took a deep breath, preparing herself for the onslaught of questions that was bound to follow, another deep breath to steel herself, and a third to calm her already frantic nerves.

"Kurokiba-kun asked me out today and I said yes." Megumi rushed out and held her breath waiting for the girls to react. Nothing happened. She looked at them and found them just… staring at her. Maybe they hadn't heard her? She tried again, "Um, guys?"

"I'm sorry what?" Yuki blinked owlishly. Megumi could almost hear the gears in her head turn as she processed the information.

"Kurokiba-kun did what?" Ryoko gaped, looking completely taken by surprise. Okay, they had definitely heard her the first time and were now staring at her, gazes full of questions.

"He asked me out. I wanted you to be the first to know." Megumi felt heat rush to her cheeks from the intensity of their gazes.

"HE DID WHAT?!" Yuki's scream was so loud that the walls shook and the windows rattled. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Megumi noticed the sound of someone tripping out in the hall, but her attention was brought back to the present when Yuki flew from the bed and grabbed Megumi's shoulders.

"Are you for real? He asked you and you said yes? Just like that? Why?" Yuki shook Megumi urgently and Ryoko had to peel the ginger girl off her.

"I didn't even know you were interested in Kurokiba. Didn't you find him scary before?" Ryoko asked as she held back Yuki, who kept asking questions so rapidly they weren't making sense.

"I used to think that, but since I started working with him in the Elite 10, I don't really think he's that scary any more…" Megumi replied truthfully. She didn't remember when it happened, but over time she had stopped being intimidated by his prickly exterior.

"But I didn't think you would just accept being asked out by anyone, let alone Kurokiba?" Yuki added and snapped back into reality. She sat back down on the bed and looked thoughtful.

"You have to start from the beginning, Megumi. How did everything happen?" Ryoko asked this time, and sat down next to Yuki on the bed. Megumi swallowed nervously and started telling the version of the events she and Kurokiba had agreed on. Yuki and Ryoko hung off her every word as she spoke, barely even asking questions.

"I didn't peg him for a romantic guy, but that is actually really sweet." Ryoko cooed when Megumi finished. Both girls had listened with rapt attention as she spoke, and Megumi hoped it had been enough to convince them. Yuki had gotten up and started pacing on the floor, a thoughtful look still on her face.

"I still can't believe you said yes. Like, I'm really happy for you and all, but you never mentioned wanting a boyfriend." Yuki pointed out, and Ryoko nodded, waiting for Megumi's answer. She mulled it over momentarily.

"I haven't really thought much about it to be honest. I guess I'm a little curious about relationships and dating in general. And it's not like I don't know Kurokiba-kun, I know he won't make me uncomfortable." Megumi started explaining slowly.

It was the truth. She had always been curious about how relationships worked, but she had been too shy to ever take the first step. "I just thought I should take a chance instead of waiting for a miracle to happen-"

"Is this about your crush on Yukihira?" Yuki asked before Megumi could finish, and promptly slapped a hand over her mouth in regret.

"I- what?" Megumi's eyes widened in shock. How did she know about that? Megumi had done everything to keep it a secret, Yuki was not supposed to know anything. Ryoko stiffened and glared at Yuki, willing the other girl to keep her mouth shut, but of course Yuki would do the exact opposite of that.

"Come on Megumi, it's not like you were good at hiding it from us. It was so obvious." Yuki sighed and her words struck a nerve with Megumi. It had been _that_ obvious? Oh no.

"You were so jealous when Erinacchi came over, but I'm glad you are over it." She continued, completely oblivious to Megumi's growing horror. Had she really been that transparent?

"Yuki! We agreed not to mention it!" Ryoko scolded the ginger girl and shot her a stern look. She then turned to Megumi with an apologetic expression before speaking, "Sorry Megumi, but it was sort of hard to miss with the way you were looking at Yukihira-kun. And when we were talking to Nakiri-san alone, you looked very uncomfortable. You just haven't been yourself ever since they started dating."

Megumi wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

She couldn't believe that her friends had known about the feelings she had been denying for ages. Had they seen right through her from the beginning? What about the boys? Had they also noticed? And Souma? Megumi's stomach dropped at the thought. Oh God, what if Erina had noticed? Megumi could feel panic building up, and took a deep breath to counter it.

"Megumi?" She could faintly hear Ryoko calling her name, but her mind was racing.

Megumi took a few seconds to regain her composure. She didn't have time to freak out now, she could reflect on her actions later. Right now she needed to finish this conversation and have the girls leave, so she could think. Megumi's phone buzzed again and drew her attention back to her desk. She saw another text from Kurokiba and numbly swiped her thumb across the screen.

_Kurokiba-kun: I'll pick you up tomorrow and walk with you to your first class. Goodnight._

What was up with his impeccable timing? She found herself smiling a little as she read his text. Reading his message brought Megumi out of her spiraling thoughts and managed to ground her somewhat. It was a good distraction from her inner turmoil that she had yet to deal with. She looked back up at her friends and saw them whispering rapidly. She had to fix this.

She took a deep breath before addressing them again. "You're right. I did have a crush on Souma-kun, but that was all it was." Both girls looked up at her with identical, surprised expressions.

"I was surprised and hurt by how I found out about him and Nakiri-san, but I never intended to tell him about my feelings." Megumi elaborated, and waited for their response. She was being completely honest and it actually felt relieving to finally get her secret feelings off her chest.

"But why not?" Yuki questioned exasperatedly. "You guys are super close and I'm confident he would have returned your feelings! You would have made such a good couple!" She insisted.

"I don't think so, Yuki-chan. I am just a friend to him, he doesn't think that way about me, and that's fine." Megumi didn't mean to sound so bitter, but that particular realization had hit her hard.

"But-"

"Yuki, I think Megumi is right," Ryoko interjected. "I also noticed that he treated Nakiri-san differently from the very beginning." She admitted and glanced at Megumi, half expecting her to be tearful, but was relieved that wasn't the case. Instead, she was looking oddly serious.

"Exactly. I don't want to keep pining over him, when I have a shot at something great with a guy who is actually interested in me." Megumi blanched at her own dishonesty, but she had accepted Kurokiba's deal and she was going to see it through. Besides, he had been right about getting over her broken heart and she was going to do her best.

"I understand that, but…" Yuki paused, and then suddenly shook her head. "No. If that's what you decided, Megumi, I'll support you!" She brightened visibly and launched herself at Megumi, who was caught off guard by the hug.

"Me too," Ryoko smiled sweetly. "Although there are a few more things I'd like to know."

* * *

**Keep the reviews coming, I love hearing from you! (=w=)/**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: With Denmark being in lockdown, I have plenty of time to write, and I want to make the world feel less dreary, even if it is just a little bit. Stay safe everyone.**

* * *

When morning rolled around and it was time to leave for class, Megumi was barely awake. She and the girls had been up late last night, discussing the turn of events. While Ryoko and Yuki didn't suspect anything, Megumi had been very careful about what she shared with them, so they could keep their story straight. She had realized that she would have to tread carefully for a while, and she was already tired from it.

Breakfast had passed by uneventfully, though Megumi had been sitting at the edge of her seat from nerves. She had eaten with Ryoko, since Yuki was running late that morning and of the boys, Marui, Sato and Aoki were still eating. Isshiki was still working in the garden and Fumio-san had disappeared back into the kitchen. Megumi only had to wait a few more minutes until she was being picked up, and she hoped she could slip away unnoticed.

Yes, Kurokiba was picking her up and they were walking to school together. Megumi felt her cheeks flush at the thought of having to hold hands with Kurokiba. Hopefully, it wasn't going to be necessary, but she prepared herself mentally just in case.

The second Megumi's phone buzzed, she shot out of the seat and practically ran outside, which startled her still eating dorm mates. As she slipped out the door she glimpsed Souma and Ibusaki heading down the stairs, but Megumi sped up before they spotted her. If she was lucky they would head straight to breakfast and not notice that she had just left.

On the other side of the door, Kurokiba was already waiting for her, hands in his pockets. He turned to greet her when he heard the door open and saw Megumi rushing out.

"'Morning." He tried suppressing a yawn and failed miserably. He watched Megumi quizzically, but didn't ask why she was flying down the stairs two steps at a time.

"Good morning, Kurokiba-kun." Megumi panted, ignoring his amused smirk. She should probably have walked to the door instead of sprinting, but since they were walking to campus, she would have enough time to catch her breath.

"How did it go yesterday?" Kurokiba asked conversationally, as they headed out. She hadn't told him, because of how late it had been when Yuki and Ryoko left.

"They took it rather well, but we ended up going to bed late." Megumi managed to get out without breathing too hard. Kurokiba was walking rather close to her, which was already throwing her off. It was probably a good thing they had met up first thing in the morning, so she had some time to get used to his close proximity.

"That's good." He replied, looking ahead with a cloudy expression. She wondered how Alice had reacted, but maybe it hadn't gone well since he wasn't saying anything, or perhaps he hadn't even told her yet. Megumi debated whether to bring it up or leave it be, but ultimately decided it was best to be informed.

"How did Nakiri-san take it?" She asked as she led him towards where her bike was parked. They were fetching her bike so that she would be able to go home quickly once classes let out at the end of the day. Kurokiba made a humming noise, but didn't quite answer. Megumi had just unlocked her bike when she heard the heavy doors to the dorm slam shut.

"Is that Tadokoro and Kurokiba?" A voice behind them asked. Megumi didn't even have to look to see Souma walking up to them. She had, after all, just passed him and Ibusaki before she went out.

"Hey, you two!" He called as he came closer. Megumi busied her hands with adjusting the bell on her handlebar, hoping he wouldn't ask questions. "Good morning." She replied quickly.

"Hey wait, what is Kurokiba doing here?" Souma asked when he stopped next to Megumi and Ryo. Megumi felt the urge to flee, but she had a feeling Kurokiba would catch her before she managed to escape.

"I'm here to pick up Megumi." Kurokiba answered lazily, making Megumi blush bright red. How was he able to say it so casually? And what was she getting all embarrassed for? They had agreed to do this _together_, she mentally scolded herself.

"Really? Why?" Souma asked curiously, looking between the two.

"What's wrong with walking to school with my girlfriend?" Kurokiba asked smartly, and Megumi tried to look away so they wouldn't see her face turn red. She really needed to get her reactions under control.

"Girlfriend? You mean Tadokoro? That's great!" Souma laughed cheerfully and patted Megumi on the back. "Congrats Tadokoro, didn't know you had it in you!" She knew he meant well, but his words brushed her the wrong way.

"Me neither," she mumbled and thanked him. Souma didn't hang around for long since he had to drop by one of the Elite 10 offices before class. He bid them a good day and quickly disappeared through the dorm's gate, leaving Megumi and Kurokiba to resume their walk to school. Relieved that Souma had finally left, Megumi tried to clear her head. They had been walking in silence for a few minutes when a thought occurred to her.

"How come you were able to pick me up this morning?" Megumi asked inquisitively. "I thought we were only walking home together in the afternoons?"

"I will be going back to fetch Miss Alice after seeing you off. She had an appointment this morning, allowing me to walk with you." Kurokiba answered, trying not to sigh too loudly at the prospect of going to the estate and then back to school once more.

"You will be going back?" Megumi sounded horrified. He didn't have to pick her up if he was busy, and they had already agreed to walk home together after class! "You didn't have to pick me up, Kurokiba-kun! I could have walked with the girls or ridden my bike…" How early had he gotten up to prepare for the day if he first met with her, and then went back to get Alice? Had he even slept enough?

"It's fine," he insisted. Then his tone turned amused and he smirked at Megumi, "Unless you would rather I didn't walk with you?" His lips quirked at her look of shock and his eyes glinted with mischief.

"No-, I-, that's not what I meant! You could have spent that time sleeping in, Kurokiba-kun." Megumi defended, surprised at his teasing.

He let out what sounded like a chuckle, and they walked silently for a few more minutes allowing Megumi to cool down. They were almost at the main entrance of the school, and already people were staring at them. Megumi could feel the hairs on her neck stand.

"Was this how Souma-kun and Nakiri-san felt the first week?" Megumi asked quietly, causing Kurokiba to lean very close to her, which of course made her feel extra jumpy. She shuddered as she thought about how long it would take to get used to his close proximity.

"I was thinking… We should probably get used to calling each other by our first names." Kurokiba suggested, glancing at her sideways. He once again moved a little closer to her as they entered the courtyard and found students milling about before class started.

"Huh?" Megumi eloquently responded, trying to remain calm whenever his arm brushed against hers.

"Wouldn't it be weird if you called me by my surname, but called another guy by his first name?" Her boyfriend asked wisely. Megumi hadn't thought about that, but it made sense.

"Okay, then… Ryo-kun." It felt… intimate to call him Ryo, but it came with the territory and it was only a matter of getting used to it. Ryo nodded, looking satisfied that she didn't shy away from using his first name.

"Good. See you later, Megumi." He stopped in front of the entrance and regarded Megumi for a few seconds, making her heart thump anxiously. Ryo's hand moved to brush back some of Megumi's bangs and he directed a small smile at her, before he turned around and went back the way he came from. Megumi spent ten seconds staring after him and willed her heart rate to slow down, so she was able to enter the building normally.

* * *

When lunch rolled around, Megumi was exhausted. Several students had seen her walk to school together with Kurokiba, and the rumor mill had been working efficiently since morning. Of course, the goal was for people to see them together, but Megumi absolutely despised being the center of attention. Especially, this type of attention that made her feel stared at from every single direction. She could feel eyes on her all the time and the trail of whispered followed her as she entered the cafeteria, looking for her friends.

Seeing neither Ryoko nor Yuki, Megumi left the cafeteria in search of a quiet place to sit until the girls made it there. Since the weather was nice, she ended up on a bench outside and leaned her elbows on the table in front of it. The sun was out and warmed her skin, but it did nothing to divert the many eyes that were following her every move.

Megumi was silently cursing Kurokiba, when he appeared at the edge of her vision. He was accompanied by Alice and, to her growing horror, they seemed to be heading straight towards Megumi.

"Megumi! Good day." Alice greeted and effortlessly slid into the seat in front of Megumi, who was taken completely by surprise. She had not expected to see Alice. The fair-skinned girl smiled pleasantly and Megumi finally remembered her manners.

"Hello, Nakiri-san, Ryo-kun." Megumi replied timidly, watching Kurokiba for cues. He seemed pretty relaxed, albeit tired. "Megumi," he nodded casually, taking the seat beside her and leaning back.

Kurokiba hadn't alerted her, meaning it was probably one of Alice's impromptu visits, and Megumi wasn't sure how to figure out what Alice was thinking. How had she reacted to Ryo suddenly having a girlfriend? Had she figured them out? She regretted not asking him to elaborate on their walk to school.

"How has your morning been? Fairly noisy I would imagine." Alice asked lightly, folding her hands on the table.

"Uh, yeah," Megumi laughed nervously, "people sure talk a lot." She desperately wished that Yuki or Ryoko would show up and save her from this embarrassing situation. She had already informed them that she was sitting outside, she just hoped they would hurry up.

"Just let them talk, they'll get over it eventually." Ryo huffed beside her, glaring into the crowds that had fallen suspiciously silent, no doubt listening in on their conversation. It had the desired effect and small talk started again around them.

"Exactly. People are nosy and beyond rude, so let me know if anyone gets on your nerves." Alice leaned forward eagerly. "So, Ryo-kun told me the news yesterday and I must say I'm impressed." She continued, waving her hand in the air.

"You are?" Megumi's brows rose. She glanced at Ryo and only now took note of how close he was sitting to her. His leg was pressed against hers, and Megumi could feel heat radiate off him. She also noticed that his arm was slung over the bench, right behind her back and it made her fidget that he was so close by.

"Yes, I thought for sure you had a thing for Yukihira-kun, but I guess I was wrong." Alice mused, saying that she had to be wrong once in a while for the universe to remain in balance.

"Oh." Megumi felt a stab through her gut at her words and added Alice to the list of people who had seen through her. She had to say something, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth. Lucky for her, Ryo was prepared to save her from replying.

"I don't think Megumi would have gone out with me if she really had a thing for Yukihira." He pointed out, defending Megumi.

Megumi's head snapped in his direction, eyes wide from surprise and gratitude. The corner of Ryo's mouth lifted and he leaned closer to her. He traced one of her braids with his free hand and let it fall back over her shoulder, sending shiver down her spine. She didn't miss how Alice's watchful gaze was locked onto them.

"R-right," Megumi mumbled, feeling her face heat up from his small touch. Ryo was smirking at her, and Megumi felt herself bristle over him having fun at her expense. Not that she could really scold him, she had her hands full just playing her part.

"You're right. So, Megumi, I was thinking you could come have lunch at the mansion soon." Alice suggested out of nowhere, throwing Megumi completely off. "I beg your pardon?" She asked.

"Since you are dating Ryo-kun, it is only natural that you come by the Nakiri mansion when you want. Yukihira-kun has, of course, been shown the same courtesy." Alice explained. She put her hand under her chin for a few moments, before her face lit up with an idea, "Oh, maybe you two should come at the same time! Then we could all have lunch together."

Megumi felt her body tense at the idea. There was no way she would be able to handle lunch at the Nakiri household with Souma and Erina this early on. She could feel Ryo watching her as Alice droned on about how it would bring them all closer together, and maybe she would be able to bring a date of her own.

Ryo's arm moved the tiniest bit and pressed against Megumi's shoulder blades, catching her attention as his fingers touched her shoulder. Right, she had to reply. "I, uh, I think I-"

"Megumi! There you are!" Yuki materialized out of nowhere together with Ryoko. "We've been looking for you everywhere! Hiya Alice, Kurokiba, what'cha up to?" Yuki swiftly redirected the attention of everyone at the table and took a seat next to Alice. "Good afternoon," Ryoko said and sent Megumi a sly look that the already flustered girl refused to acknowledge. She really wished Ryo wouldn't have slung his arm around her.

"Yuki! Ryoko! Long time no see!" Alice greeted them and moved over so Ryoko could sit on her other side.

"Well, yeah, you never visit us anymore." Yuki pouted, complaining about the Elite 10 having too many of her friends in it.

* * *

**Don't worry, the hand holding, hugging and lots of other development is coming. (=w=)/**


	6. Chapter 6

"We were just talking about how Megumi and Yukihira-kun were coming over for dinner this week. Why don't you all come as well?" Alice offered them graciously, completely ignoring Megumi's lack of response. Since when had it turned into a dinner?

She looked up at Ryo, whose expression had turned thoughtful. Megumi wanted to protest, but she didn't know how to turn Alice down and she was actually relieved that the others had been invited. Still, she was already dreading the dinner and frantically thought of a way to avoid going. It was Ryoko who came to her rescue.

"Thanks, but won't it be hard to accommodate so many of us at once? I think it would be better if you two came to the dorm. Nakiri-san and Arato-san can come too." Ryoko offered instead and Yuki instantly latched onto the idea. "We can celebrate Totsuki's two new power couples! And we won't have to worry about making noise or disturbing others." The ginger girl was more than ready to throw them a party and started typing a message in the dorm's group chat.

Megumi felt her phone buzz in her pocket and knew it was too late to intervene. Once the boys read the word 'party' there was no going back. Alice, too, seemed to be onboard the party train and was quickly immersed in conversation.

Yuki looked up and caught Megumi's eye, winking at her and sending her a thumbs up. While Megumi could have kissed her for saving her from an awkward dinner, she could have done with some warning about throwing a party in her honor, but that was just how Yuki rolled. Megumi shook her head fondly and turned to look at Ryo, who hadn't said a word during the entire exchange.

"What do you think?" Megumi leaned close to him and whispered. She could still hear the girls planning and grabbed the chance to ask him. She did not expect him to lean so close to her that she could feel his lips brush against her ear, sending jolts through her body as he spoke, "It's a good idea, and it will make it easy to postpone the dinner."

"Yeah?" Megumi barely stuttered out. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Yuki whistled at them from across the table, where all three girls were watching them like hawks. "Look at the lovebirds being all cozy, maybe we should leave!" She suggested coyly, causing Alice and Ryoko to snicker.

"I heard you picked Megumi up this morning?" Ryoko addressed Kurokiba, who merely nodded. "Yeah."

"That's so sweet!" The girls cooed, making Megumi's cheeks blaze. Why had she signed herself up for this type of torture? Ryo didn't seem bothered at all, and instead looked like he just remembered something. "I'll pick you up again tomorrow, Megumi."

"You will? I thought it was only for today?" Megumi couldn't hide the surprise in her voice. She looked from Ryo to Alice, trying to figure out if something had happened, but Alice was smiling just as pleasantly as she had earlier, while Ryo just wore a neutral expression.

"Miss doesn't mind if I pick you up once in a while." He told her, much to her surprise. It sounded like Alice had given them green light, but Megumi had expected a least a little bit of… resistance?

"Of course not!" Alice nodded triumphantly, "Ryo-kun finally has a girlfriend, and it's only natural that you get to spend time together. Besides, I know it won't interfere with his work as my aide." She added, smiling sweetly. This time, her smile made Megumi tense up.

"Right," Ryo agreed slowly. Megumi didn't know if she was reading too much into it, but it sounded a lot like a challenge or a threat. Maybe Alice wasn't taking it as well as Megumi had hoped.

"So, party on Friday at our place!" Yuki announced loudly, typing furiously on her phone, no doubt already coordinating with the boys. Megumi wondered whether it would be insensitive to invite Nikumi, and decided to discuss it with the girls later. The blonde girl had kept her distance ever since the previous week, which reminded Megumi to check on her.

"It's been a while since we've celebrated anything." Ryoko mused. It had been kind of quiet at the dorm ever since the new Elite 10 was formed and a party would definitely brighten up the mood. It was a happy occasion after all.

"Can't wait." Alice replied cheerfully.

* * *

Megumi was far from thrilled at the prospect of a party. She should have known it would come to that sooner or later, but she had hoped it wouldn't be right away, when she was still getting used to being around Ryo so much. Today was Wednesday, which only left her with two days to prepare herself.

The whole encounter with Alice earlier had left Megumi with many questions and she had not been able to stop thinking about it. It felt like she was being tested by Alice, but she couldn't figure out why.

Once lunch had finished, their little group had split up and she hadn't been able to shake the feeling for the rest of the day. Even as she sat in the bathtub much, much later, Megumi was trying to wrap her head around it.

_'Maybe Kurokiba-kun noticed it too? I should ask him.'_ She thought as she spun her rubber duck around with her finger. Megumi sighed and decided to ask him after she finished her bath. The water was slowly starting to cool down, so she soaked for a few minutes longer, before making her way out.

Once Megumi was back in her room and drying her hair, she grabbed her phone to text Ryo and was surprised to see his caller id appear on her screen. Curious as to why he was calling, and thinking she could ask about Alice anyway, she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, are you busy right now?" Ryo's voice sounded in her ear. It was definitely easier to hear his voice this close when he wasn't physically there.

"No, I was just about to message you, actually." Megumi admitted, sitting down on her bed and grabbing her hair brush.

"I see." He paused and allowed her to take the lead.

"Kuro- Ryo-kun, I wanted to ask about earlier today with Nakiri-san…" Megumi started slowly. She hoped she was looking too much into it, but she needed to know if Alice was indeed testing her.

"Ah, yeah?" Ryo asked.

"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it felt like she was… testing me?" She bit her lip as she waited for his reply. When she heard Ryo exhale loudly at the other end of the line, her hunch was confirmed.

"That seems to be the case, yes." Ryo agreed. Megumi could almost image how he was pinching the bridge of his nose or rubbing his neck.

"But why? Did she not take it well that we are, uh, dating?" She couldn't help but ask, nervously twirling a lock of hair around her finger. She really needed to brush it while it was damp, but she didn't want to put Ryo on speaker for fear of being overheard. Isshiki could be lurking anywhere, and while she trusted her senior not to tattle, she needed to be discreet when discussing their relationship.

"I'm not entirely sure. She seemed fine yesterday, although a bit quiet. She didn't throw any tantrums, so it seemed like she took it well enough, but I expected her to protest and fight me over it." Ryo explained slowly. Megumi wondered what could have made her react like that.

She knew Alice to be inquisitive and cautious behind her cheerful attitude, and she was highly intelligent despite her childish side. Of course she would have some reservations about her aide dating, when he was such an important person to her. Could it be that Alice was protective of Ryo the same way he was of her?

"Could it be that she was trying to see if I was genuine about going out with you?" Megumi asked. Ryo made a noncommittal noise before replying, "Maybe." It was a possibility then.

"But she doesn't suspect us?" Megumi pressed, hairbrush forgotten beside her.

"No, didn't seem like it." Ryo replied a few seconds later.

"That's good then." Megumi was relieved. It took her a moment to realize that she didn't know why Ryo had called and that she had hijacked the conversation before he even got a word in.

"Sorry, I've just been going on by myself. Did you need something?" She apologized hastily, feeling embarrassed even though he couldn't see her.

"No, I was just calling to check up on you and to say goodnight. You seemed a little out of it earlier, but I guess that was because of Miss." Ryo said. Megumi was once again surprised at how much he had picked up on during their short time together.

"Oh. Thanks. Do you think I have to do something to convince her?" Megumi asked instead. She was worried about how their party would go, if Alice wasn't convinced by their act.

"I guess we just have to stick together and convince people we are the real deal. We'll probably have to hold hands or something, but don't any sleep over it. We'll figure it out together." Ryo assured her, knowing of her tendency to get caught up in the maelstrom of her anxious thoughts.

"Okay." Megumi felt loads better after hearing him say that and was grateful he wasn't leaving her to figure it out on her own. She had now survived more than 24 hours as Ryo's girlfriend, and she prayed it would become easier.

They spoke for another minute or two, discussing what classes they had in common the following days, when Megumi heard knocking on her door and Ryoko calling her name. She could also hear Yuki, so they were probably there to discuss the party.

"Ryo-kun, the girls are outside and we have to plan for Friday, but I'll see you tomorrow?" Megumi didn't know why she asked, when she knew they were walking to school together and had to refrain from groaning.

"Yeah, I'll pick you up at the same time. Goodnight." Ryo sounded amused, which made her feel like an idiot.

"Goodnight!" Megumi ended the call and quickly went to open her door, where her friends stood with their ears pressed against it.

"Late night calls with your boyfriend? You've come far, Megumi!" Yuki teased and waltzed right in, going straight for the bed as always.

"So bold." Ryoko agreed and fought to hide her smile at Megumi's flustered expression as she sat in the desk chair.

"He just called to say goodnight." She managed to say without stuttering and joined Yuki on the bed. She finally grabbed the brush and started on detangling her almost dry locks.

"Aww!" Yuki cooed, knowing it would embarrass her timid friend.

Megumi gave herself three seconds to be embarrassed, and then cut straight to the chase. "I was wondering if we should invite Mito-san for the party, since we are inviting Takumi-kun and Isami-kun as well?" Yuki only looked slightly disappointed that Megumi wasn't a stuttering mess, but quickly turned serious.

"I've been thinking about it too. I don't want to leave her out, but I also don't want to rub salt in her wounds." Ryoko sighed, feeling conflicted. She had barely heard from Nikumi the past week, it was like she had vanished.

"Don't you think we should invite her anyway? If she doesn't want to come that's fine, but I think we should at least give her the option to choose." Yuki suggested from her spot on Megumi's bed, tucking her legs under her and leaning comfortably against the wall.

"I think so too… I wonder if she'll come, though." Megumi added forlornly. She had yet to see Nikumi again and she hoped their friend would show up. She really wanted to cheer the blonde up, but Megumi knew that she needed space.

Yuki looked thoughtful with a hand on her chin, "Maybe we shouldn't rub it her face that we are celebrating Yukihira and Erinacchi going out, then?"

"Do you want to make it about Megumi and Kurokiba-kun instead?" Ryoko regretted asking the moment she saw Megumi's panicked expression. Even with Ryo's support, she absolutely loathed the idea.

"Nah, Megumi'll probably explode from the attention." Yuki waved her hand dismissively, "Didn't you see her earlier when the boys asked about Kurokiba?" The ginger girl suppressed her snickering when she thought back to a few hours ago, where Megumi had come down to dinner and been swarmed by Sato and Aoki. Poor Megumi had nearly fainted from their interrogation and threats against Ryo, should he ever hurt her.

"You're right. We should just have a party for the sake of it, not start a civil war." Ryoko conceded after another look at Megumi, who let out a sigh of relief. The blue-haired girl had just about forgotten about the disastrous dinner until Yuki brought it up. Isshiki had assured the other boys that Ryo would never hurt Megumi, but she had also heard him mutter something about organic fertilizer for his fields.

"Personally, I don't get boys' need to threaten new boyfriends. Megumi is pretty good at handling knives herself. She could gut him like a fish, if she wanted to." Yuki shrugged, not at all bothered by the mental images she was putting in Megumi's head.

"Yuki-chan, don't say that!" Megumi gasped, horrified at her friend's words.

"I'm just saying." Yuki held up her hands in defense and Ryoko quietly facepalmed.

* * *

**More on the party next time, but first Megumi will have to survive walking to school with Ryo again... heh... (=w=)/**


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning Megumi wasn't as anxious about being picked up by Ryo. It was fairly noisy in the dining room, because Yuki, the dorm's mood-maker, was well-rested and in high spirits, which meant that everyone at the table was in a good mood.

Megumi had already finished eating and was talking amicably with Ryoko and Yuki, when Ryo walked into the dining room, bag slung over his shoulder. He was accompanied by Souma, who was chattering away, not caring about the lack of response from Ryo.

"Ryo-kun! Good morning." Megumi greeted him, although surprised that he was already there. She checked her phone to see if she had missed his text or if she was running late, but found no new messages.

"Good morning." Ryo replied and nodded to the other occupants at the table, who also called out to him. Yuki in particular was very excited to see Ryo, since that meant she would be able to tease Megumi more than usual. He walked over to Megumi and grabbed her bag as she started getting ready to leave.

"You're early." Megumi remarked, pointedly ignoring the snickers coming from Yuki. She gently took her bag from him, knowing it was a habit from carrying around Alice's belongings. "Yeah." Ryo let go of the bag without a fight.

"I saw him waiting for you outside and let him in." Souma told her as he got started on assembling his breakfast. "Kurokiba have you had breakfast yet?" He turned to Ryo instead, who nodded. "I'm good." Once he saw that Megumi had all of her things, he started in the direction of the door.

"See you later." Megumi called out to her dorm mates as she followed Ryo out. She could see the girls smiling and the guys looking on with curiosity. Souma waved at her as he stuffed his face with toast.

"Have fun!" Yuki and Ryoko called after them.

The walk to school didn't feel awkward as Megumi had feared. She was surprised to find that she wasn't scrambling for something to fill the silence with, and that they could simply walk in comfortable silence. Ryo was once again walking very close to her, but she felt less flustered by his proximity than she had the previous day.

They had been walking for a couple of minutes, when he spoke. "Did you finish planning for the party?"

"More or less," Megumi nodded. She had left it to Yuki to invite Nikumi, and she hoped the blonde would show up. The Aldini brothers and Hayama were also invited along with Erina and Hisako, so they were going to be quite the crowd.

"I hope it goes well." Megumi said. She briefly considered telling Ryo about the conversation she had with the girls after their phone call and ask for his opinion, but she didn't want to reveal Nikumi's secret.

"Hmm." Ryo replied and covered up a yawn. Megumi was still fretting over the party, but she was even more concerned about the dinner with Alice. It had been on her mind since last night and she was dreading having to eat with Souma, Erina and Alice at once.

"Do you think we can get out of the dinner with Alice-san?" Megumi frowned, hoping there was some way out.

"Probably not," Ryo sighed. "If I bring you home for lunch a couple of times, she might ease up a little, but I think we will have to have dinner with Yukihira and Miss Erina."

"She mentioned bringing a date of her own, so I was wondering if there was someone she was interested in?" Megumi asked Ryo, who shrugged noncommittally.

"Beats me. Miss hasn't been very forthcoming lately." He shared to Megumi's surprise. From what she knew, Alice usually shared everything with Ryo. He was her aide and confidant, so what could cause Alice to not share her thoughts with him.

Megumi recalled yesterday's conversation with Alice and how the blonde girl had studied every interaction between Megumi and Ryo. She had seen something in Alice's gaze that she had thought was protectiveness, but now she thought it might have been something else. It made Megumi wonder if Alice maybe had her heart set on Ryo, and while it was an option, she didn't dare ask Ryo. It was a very personal matter and although Megumi was involved in the situation, she felt it wasn't her place to pry.

"I see." Megumi finally replied. They kept walking for a few more minutes and were nearing campus when Ryo broke the silence once more.

"It sounded like half the students believed we only had Elite 10 business yesterday." Ryo informed her as the first few students came into view. No one had spotted them yet, but if they kept walking, they would reach the edge of the courtyard within two minutes.

"But people were talking so much yesterday." Megumi was kind of surprised. With Souma and Erina, sure, there had been an article in the school paper, but the students ate it all up. Why was it any different with her and Ryo?

"Yeah, but we were kind of distant." Ryo pointed out. Megumi thought back to their interactions and realized that he was right. Even though they had walked to school together and sat next to each other, it didn't make it obvious that they were dating.

She thought back to their phone call and remembered that Ryo had said they would probably have to hold hands, and sure enough, when she looked over at him, he silently held out his hand to her. Megumi hesitated for a second, but Ryo didn't pressure her, he just waited for her to decide what to do.

Slowly, Megumi extended her hand and let it be entwined with his. The first thing she noticed was that Ryo's hand was warm and that it was much bigger than her own. She almost retracted it, but he gently swiped his thumb over the back of her hand, and the motion was enough to stop her. Later, Megumi would admit that she had rather liked the feeling of Ryo's hand in her own, but at the moment, she was bracing herself for the stares she was about to receive.

Sure enough, as soon as Megumi and Ryo were seen holding hands, people gasped dramatically and clustered together to gossip. Megumi looked stiffly at the ground, hoping they would make it to class soon. Ryo walked leisurely next to her without a care in the world, while Megumi was struggling to keep her composure. From the edge of her vision, she could see people stopping up and gaping at them and she felt so exposed in the middle of the courtyard.

Megumi was acutely aware of Ryo's popularity among their peers, and she genuinely feared that she would be hunted down by his fans. She could already feel them glaring daggers at her and instinctively moved closer to Ryo, who shot her a curious look and gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

The warmth from Ryo's hand kept her grounded as they made their way through the courtyard and into the main building. They shared their first class of the day, but otherwise would only see each other at lunch. Megumi secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that Alice wasn't taking this class with them, and immediately felt bad for thinking like that. No matter the circumstances, Alice was one of her friends too, and Megumi didn't want to avoid her.

"Where do you wanna sit?" Ryo's voice broke through her thoughts and brought her back to reality. They had already reached the auditorium for their lecture, and she hadn't even noticed, too busy thinking.

"Second row?" Megumi suggested her usual spot and was confused when Ryo stopped walking and gave her a flat look. "No." He simply said.

"Then where?" Megumi asked, not wanting to sit all the way in the back, which seemed to be Ryo's plan.

"Fine, we'll compromise – in the middle." Ryo started leading her towards the middle closest to the windows, not giving Megumi a chance to protest as he picked their seats and plopped down. Not that she was against it, just as long as it wasn't in the far back, otherwise she would have a hard time paying attention to the lecture.

It was exactly 12 minutes into the lecture that Megumi understood why Ryo wanted to sit in the back. She had been following the lecture and hadn't noticed that Ryo was suspiciously quiet, until she saw him nodding off from the corner of her eye.

His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes were closed and his head bent. Megumi fully expected him to start snoring and was amazed that he had managed to fall asleep so quickly. Though she agreed that the lecture wasn't particularly interesting, she felt it was better to wake him up than risk him staying asleep for the duration of class and potentially get in trouble.

"Ryo-kun!" Megumi whispered urgently, hoping he was only dozing off and not fast asleep. When he didn't react, she tried again and nudged him with her elbow. His face twitched, but his eyes remained closed and his breathing remained even.

Megumi sighed and turned her attention to the blackboard and spent a few minutes copying down a diagram, before she looked at her sleeping desk mate again. He looked relaxed, she thought. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt bad for wanting to wake him and wanted him to stay that relaxed.

It was probably 10 minutes later when Megumi felt Ryo lean on her. She had been so busy taking notes and trying to follow the lecture that she didn't notice him sinking further in his seat and slipping sideways until he was leaning against her shoulder. Hoping that no one would notice, Megumi tried to wake Ryo once more.

"Ryo-kun, wake up," she whispered. Nothing. Megumi wanted to nudge him again, but he was dead weight on her arm and she didn't want to shove him off. She used her other hand to carefully push him back into his seat, but he was leaning too far against her for it to have any effect, and he slumped right back onto her shoulder.

Just as she was about to try again, Ryo's head started slipping down her shoulder and Megumi quickly put her hand against his head to keep him steady. Megumi noticed him twitch again and wondered how to wake him without everyone else in the room noticing.

Megumi's hand stayed on his head, carefully putting it back onto her shoulder. Ryo's hair was soft under her fingers and she couldn't resist stroking it. How did he get it to be so luscious? Was it natural? She made a mental note to ask him later. It took Megumi a moment to realize she was stroking Ryo's hair without his permission, and she felt like a criminal for taking advantage of him in his sleep, but just as she removed her hand, he inhaled sharply and moved.

Ryo's eyes fluttered open and he blinked sleepily, lifting his head up and locking eyes with her, inches from her face. He was so close that Megumi could count his eyelashes, and _that_ particular realization made her jump in her seat, snapping her head back to the front of the auditorium.

Lucky for her, Ryo was too disoriented to notice and finally straightened up in his own chair. He glanced at the blackboard, then at Megumi's notes and then leaned back, suppressing a yawn. Once Ryo seemed to be paying attention to the lecture, Megumi breathed a silent sigh of relief after her near heart attack. She hoped he hadn't noticed that she was touching his hair, but she remembered how many times he had touched her braids without warning yesterday and figured they were even.

He didn't seem to doze off again, so Megumi finally turned her attention back to the lecture, deciding that she could share her notes with him later. As soon as the lecture ended, Megumi rushed to pack her things away. Ryo, who hadn't bothered to take notes was ready to go, and waited patiently for Megumi to finish, who of course dropped her pencil case and spilled all of its contents onto the desk. Ryo didn't say anything, just bent down to help her gather her pens.

"Sorry," Megumi apologized silently, cursing her clumsiness.

"It's fine." He assured her, and handed her the remaining pens. Once she had stuffed all of her things back in her bag, Ryo held out his hand again and this time Megumi didn't hesitate to take it. His hand was still warm and his grip was surprisingly gentle as he led her out of the auditorium and out into the hall.

Ryo walked her all the way to her next class and Megumi tried not to think about all the eyes that followed them as they walked. She was headed for a practice kitchen for a lecture on Spanish cuisine and wished it wasn't so far away. Ryo would have to go all the way back after he dropped her off, but she also knew that they had to make an impression.

"Hey." Ryo called her attention and Megumi suddenly found him towering over her. He had a wicked grin on his face that made shivers run down Megumi's spine. He was planning something, and she had no idea what, but she braced herself when he lifted her chin. Ryo bent down and lightly pressed his lips to her forehead, before stepping back with a lopsided smile. "See you at lunch, Megumi." _What._

She managed not to short-circuit and waved weakly in his direction as he left for his own class, but her cheeks were blazing. The students that had been standing in the hallway and had seen him kiss her were frozen in shock, which meant that Megumi had a chance to slip away before they regained verbal skills and started gossiping.

Mustering up all her strength, Megumi entered the practice kitchen as she normally would and went to one of the cooking stations off to the side, where no one else was standing. There was still more than ten minutes until class started and Megumi spent this time calming down, which of course meant that she completely freaked out.

_'What? Wha? What just happened?' _She had no idea Ryo would ever kiss her, and while it was only on her forehead, it sent Megumi reeling. She knew it was just an act, but Megumi had never been kissed by a boy before. At least not since she was a little girl, but this was different, _way_ different.

For starters, Ryo had never mentioned anything about kissing when they made their deal. She understood the need to convince people, but she had not been prepared for a kiss. And Ryo was having too much fun at her expense. He could at least have warned her, but she would probably have freaked out if he did. Even now, her legs felt weak and her cheeks were blazing.

After slowly coming to terms with Ryo's surprise attack, Megumi vowed to get back at him or at the very least scold him for surprising her. The day had just started and she had already held hands with him twice, been used as a pillow and been kissed on the forehead. Megumi wasn't sure her heart could take being Ryo's girlfriend, but she really wished her cheeks would stop burning.

* * *

**Poor Megumi. I sure hope nothing else happens to her... (=w=)/**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi all, thank you for your reviews and messages! I split the party into two parts so it wouldn't get too long. Also, before you come for me in the comments, Yuki and Ryoko enjoy teasing Megumi, but they know when to stop, even when they are drunk off rice juice. Enjoy!**

* * *

The Polar Star dorm was bustling with activity Friday evening, and the residents were eagerly preparing dishes for Erina to taste. It had been a while since she last assessed their cooking and everyone was fired up.

"I _will_ make her acknowledge my cooking today." Souma swore, stirring a pot. His aura spoke of intense conviction and he carefully added spices to his dish, inhaling their fragrance deeply.

"You're her boyfriend Yukihira, you can get her taste you food any time! Give the rest of us a chance too!" Aoki complained from the counter, where he was chopping carrots. He had been on the receiving end of most of Erina's bizarre analogies and he was determined to amaze her.

"That's right!" The rest of the kitchen chorused, all vying for a chance to have Erina praise them.

"She is too busy to test my dishes and she won't accept any of my shokugekis!" Souma threw his hands up into the air and turned to grab his prepped ingredients, which were tossed into the pot.

"She is the head mistress after all." Ryoko tried to placate him, but Souma resumed his work without missing a beat, muttering to himself as he continued stirring. Ryoko sighed and continued preparations for her own dish.

"I'm just glad we managed to convince her to come." Yuki sighed from her own work station. It had been a struggle for Yuki and Hisako to clear Erina's schedule for the evening, but by a stroke of luck they managed.

While Megumi agreed with everyone else that it was a good chance to gauge their individual growth, she had a number of concerns that were occupying her mind and kept her from participating in the God Tongue's taste festival.

First, they were throwing a party to unwind, so having Erina taste all of their dishes felt like taking advantage of her. But since it wasn't the first time they had they had asked her to taste their dishes, maybe it would be fine?

Second, Megumi was worried about having to deal with Alice and Ryo. They had visited the dorm on numerous occasions, but they had yet to experience a party at the Polar Star. Throwing Erina into the mix only added to the chaos, but Megumi was sure she would be able to take advantage of the sheer number of people. Hayama, Takumi and Isami were all going to be there and hopefully that would diffuse the tension.

Third, Nikumi had also agreed to come, but Megumi wasn't sure what her state of mind currently was and she didn't want to walk on eggshells around her. She was certain Nikumi would have declined the invitation if she didn't feel like coming, but there was no telling how she would react to seeing Souma and Erina.

Fourth, Megumi wondered how she was going to survive the night. She was well aware that she was catastrophizing, but her nerves were making her all shaky. She just wanted to have fun with everyone and let go of all the anxiety she felt. It was hardly like she could duck out of the party now, but she was looking forward to when it was over.

With a deep sigh, Megumi returned her attention to the batter she was mixing for her brownie. Unlike the rest of her dorm mates who had no qualms about asking Erina to taste their food, Megumi was not feeling up for it. Her mind was all over the place and since she was in the mood for something sweet and decadent, she decided to bake brownies that she could share with everyone else.

Megumi tuned out the chatter of the kitchen and quietly resumed her work. She had always liked baking, though she rarely had the opportunity to bake. Cooking was her craft, but baking was like therapy to her, even if the two things were closely related. Maybe it was because she loved chocolate that she had developed a fondness of baking with it, but at the end of the day, it didn't really matter. Megumi loved to cook and she also loved to bake.

Once the batter was poured into the mold and placed in the oven, Megumi set her timer for 30 minutes and cleaned up around her. Looking around she saw most of her dorm mates cooking with fire in their eyes and felt happy they were working so hard to improve. Silently, she left the kitchen to have some down time in her room, before the rest of their friends showed up.

As she entered her room, Megumi picked up the volume of manga she had started reading yesterday and settled onto her bed to continue the story. She was quickly engrossed in her manga and didn't notice how quickly time passed. She hadn't been reading for very long, when someone knocked on her door and made her look up. Wondering who it could be, Megumi put down her manga and went to open the door. She was surprised to see Ryo standing outside, hands in his pockets.

"Ryo-kun! Hi." Megumi said, slightly perplexed. She hadn't expected him to suddenly show up; there was still plenty of time before the guests were expected to arrive.

"Hey," he answered with a nod. "Yoshino told me to get you. Something about a cake." Ryo explained.

Megumi checked her phone to see if her alarm had already gone off, but was relieved to see that there was still time. "Oh, right. There's still ten minutes left on the timer." She looked up to see Ryo observing her and suddenly felt self-conscious under his gaze.

"'Kay." Ryo sounded unbothered, waiting for her to decide if she wanted to come with him or not. Megumi wondered if it would be rude to not invite him in, since he technically speaking was her boyfriend.

Deciding that it would probably keep their cover intact, she swallowed nervously before asking, "Do you want to come in?" Ryo's brows lifted slightly at her question, but otherwise his face stayed neutral as he replied. "Sure." Opening the door wider for him to enter, Megumi was grateful that she had already cleaned her room earlier in the day.

"Have a seat." Megumi offered and went to her small kitchenette to get him something to drink.

Ryo walked to the middle of the room and looked around. She kept it neat and tidy, but still had knick-knacks displayed here and there. Ryo spotted small figurines, a bookcase with manga and magazines, and framed pictures of her friends and family. It was simple, but nice.

"Is lemonade fine?" Megumi asked as she came back around with two glasses and placed them on the table.

"Yeah, thanks." Ryo accepted the glass and took a seat at her desk. He sat back and looked around again as Megumi sat on her bed, fiddling with her glass.

"You're early." She remarked, feeling awkward all of a sudden. It wasn't like she hadn't been alone with Ryo before, but having him in her room was just different. She hoped the timer would run out soon so she could go back to the kitchen and take Ryo with her.

"Miss didn't want to wait around. She's in the kitchen making fun of Yukihira." Ryo's face held a hint of a smile as he explained, no doubt picturing Yukihira being tortured by Alice.

"I see." Megumi took a sip of her lemonade, discreetly checking the timer on her phone, but Ryo's eyes still followed the movement.

"What are you baking?" He asked, swirling the lemonade around in his glass before taking a sip.

"Brownies." Megumi thought that he perked up at the mention of brownies and wondered if he had a sweet tooth. "They should be done in a few minutes." Yeah, he definitely perked up, or more like his gaze sharpened and his back straightened.

"I tried a new recipe I saw on this page I follow…" Megumi trailed off. Her social media was filled to the brim with food bloggers and Megumi could spend hours scrolling through her apps and saving recipes to test out. It was one of her favorite pastimes and it was bordering on addiction.

"Hmm." Ryo took another drink of his lemonade and detected a hint of something sweet and fruity. "What's in this?" He asked, trying to work out the flavors. It tasted a lot like peach, but there was an unexpected depth to it.

"Peaches." Megumi confirmed. The lemonade was another recipe she had tested from her favorite food page and it was easily becoming her favorite.

"It's good." Ryo praised and drained his glass as Megumi's timer went off and startled her. Ryo placed his glass on the table before getting up and offering Megumi his hand, which she took with little hesitation.

Together they left Megumi's room and made their way to the kitchen. Megumi steeled herself when she heard the laughter and chatter from inside, hoping that they could slip in unnoticed, but as luck would have Yuki was standing closest to the door. The second she spotted them, she wolf whistled and cheered, catching everyone's attention. Megumi noticed the bottle of rice juice on the counter next to Yuki and shot Ryoko a _look_, but the other girl just shrugged sheepishly.

The chatter didn't die down, but now that everyone was watching Megumi and Ryo, she found it incredibly hard to walk. Souma and Alice were wearing identical grins while Yuki and Ryoko cooed. Even the other boys watched on in amusement as the couple entered. Megumi wanted to hide and Ryo didn't bat an eye. Instead, he gently squeezed her hand and nodded towards the ovens. Right, she wasn't alone. A deep breath later, Megumi started walking with Ryo's hand clasped in hers. She was immensely grateful for his silent show of support and finally let go of his hand as she grabbed oven mitts and a cooling rack.

Ryo calmly followed her to the oven she had been using and as Megumi pulled out her brownies, he leaned against the counter and asked questions about her recipe to distract her. A few questions later it had the desired effect, and Megumi's shoulders visibly relaxed. She meticulously cut the brownies into even squares and searched for a platter to place them on after they cooled.

The others also lost interest in teasing her and returned to completing their own dishes. Alice strolled over when the scent of brownies wafted through the kitchen and struck up conversation with Megumi and Ryo. She was being very pleasant as Megumi served her and Ryo a piece of cake, savoring every bite.

"Megumi, this is so good! You have to share the recipe with me!" Alice praised, letting out a hum of appreciation.

"I'm glad you like it! I saw it on this food page I follow." Megumi explained with a wide smile.

"Send me one of their posts so I can follow them." Alice told her and took another bite. Megumi was relieved that they were talking normally and that Alice was enjoying the brownies.

She glanced at Ryo and saw him eyeing another piece, his own plate empty. Chuckling, Megumi pushed the platter towards him and smiled when he snatched another piece. It made her happy that he liked something she had made. While they ate, Alice and Ryo started discussing what variations of the recipe they would suggest for Megumi to try out.

Megumi waited a few more minutes before she brought the platter with her to the dining room where the drinks and snacks were being set up by Ryoko and Ibusaki. There were plenty of snacks to choose from and Megumi was certain they wouldn't be running out anytime soon. After arranging her platter and adjusting some of the bowls so that they wouldn't be knocked over, she let her gaze sweep over the table to determine if anything was missing.

Megumi hadn't noticed Ryo following behind her and bumped into him when she turned to grab some more napkins for the tables. Luckily Ryo managed to grab hold of her shoulders and prevented her from toppling over. "Careful," he said.

"Sorry, Ryo-kun." Megumi apologized as he let go of her. She was certain she heard an amused lilt to his voice, but his expression was passive. Megumi was slowly getting better at picking up his subtle tells, but Ryo wasn't very expressive when he went without his bandana.

Of course, that particular thought made Megumi wonder when Ryo would bust out his bandana, because it was bound to happen when he was near Souma and Hayama. Megumi made mental note to keep track of Alice during the evening so she could rein Ryo in, if it came to it. Alice, Souma and Yuki emerged from the kitchen and slowly people started scattering around, talking and eating snacks.

Not much later Nikumi and the Aldini brothers arrived. Takumi went straight to Souma, accusing him of avoiding the elder Aldini for weeks and Isami hung back, greeting everyone else. Nikumi slowly walked up to the girls, waving at them.

Yuki, Ryoko and Megumi all hugged her at the same time and started talking as soon as they let go. None of the Polar Star girls missed Nikumi looking wistfully at Yukihira, who was busy placating Takumi and had yet to see her. Instead they dragged Nikumi to the snack bar and promptly filled a plate for her, all the while telling her about the dishes they had cooked for Erina to taste. She smiled gratefully at them and started asking questions about their respective dishes.

Isami came up to Megumi, smiling kindly as he spoke. "Tadokoro-san, congratulations. I'm happy for you two."

Nikumi also looked up and turned to the blue-haired girl. "Yeah, what's all that about?" She asked curiously. Megumi had expected that the rumors about her and Ryo had spread to the entire school now, and got ready to reply. She could do this.

"Thank you, Isami-kun," Megumi smiled at him and then turned to Nikumi, "And it just sort of happened." She had already told the blonde that she and Ryo were dating over text, but she wanted to tell the rest in person. Faintly, she could feel Ryo's gaze on her back from where he stood with Alice, Souma and Takumi.

Isami stayed with the girls as Megumi recounted how Ryo had asked her out, and eventually Takumi made his way over to congratulate her as well. "I must say I was surprised to hear about you and Kurokiba. I didn't think he was your type." Takumi mused.

Yuki nodded solemnly in complete agreement. "But remember, Takumicchi, opposites attract," she spoke sagely and patted his shoulder.

While their words held no ill intent, Megumi wasn't sure what to think of them. Sure, Ryo was kind of prickly and distant to most, but he had shown Megumi how observant and caring he could be. He was one of the most passionate and talented chefs of their year and Megumi found that admirable. He was by no means a bad person, and she felt kind of offended on his behalf.

"Um," Megumi didn't know what to say, and looked in Ryo's direction for help, but he had his back turned to her and was arguing with Hayama, who had just arrived.

"I, for one, think it's romantic!" Ryoko piped in and started filling the cups of the newcomers. Her cheeks were flushed from the rice juice and Megumi strongly considered confiscating it to make her evening a little easier to survive.

"They actually balance each other pretty well, and I think they make a great pair." Nikumi spoke up and shot Megumi a reassuring smile. Megumi felt a wave of affection wash over her and had felt the urge to squeeze her friend into a hug, when she defended them. Isami agreed with Nikumi, and Megumi felt relieved that she wouldn't spend the entire evening hearing the same comments.

* * *

**I hope you are all healthy and staying safe. Until next time! (=w=)/**


	9. Chapter 9

As the evening progressed Megumi felt less and less anxious. Isshiki's arrival had brightened the atmosphere considerably and all in all, everyone was having a good time. Alice had been highly amused when she finally saw Isshiki wearing nothing but his apron and Ryo, while initially surprised, was not affected by his getup. He already knew that the people living at the dorm were crazy, why wouldn't the second seat walk around in an apron?

Not long ago Ryo had casually strolled up to Megumi and the other girls and was steadily working his way through the snack table. He made idle conversation when addressed, but had otherwise been content with staying by Megumi's side and snacking on whatever he could get his hands on. Megumi's brownies were a huge hit and the platter was nearly empty, especially with Ryo standing next to it.

"Ryo-kun, aren't you sick of them yet?" Megumi had asked with a laugh when he reached for yet another one. She was glad that he was enjoying them, but at this rate he was bound to get cavities.

"They're good." Ryo shrugged and continued munching. "Besides, I have a high metabolism." He added when he saw Megumi raise a brow at him. He could feel the other girls glare at him for his comment, and wondered if they were self-conscious about their weight or just envious of his metabolism. Maybe both.

"Say, we know it's barely been a week, but when are you guys going on your first date?" Ryoko asked curiously. She and Yuki had been needling Megumi for a couple of days, but she kept avoiding the question.

"Um-"

"We're going out tomorrow." Ryo informed them and glanced at Megumi to see her reaction. She hid her surprise pretty well and since the girls' attention had been on him, no one had noticed.

"Right." Megumi smiled sweetly, just rolling with it. She was starting to learn that she would have to think on her feet where Ryo was involved. Honestly, springing a date on her with so little warning? She hoped that was the only surprise she was getting. Megumi tried to glare at Ryo, resolved that she would have a talk with him later, and he merely smirked over the rim of his paper cup. He was definitely enjoying it.

"Ryo-kun!" Alice waved Ryo over from where she was standing with Souma, Hayama and the Aldinis. Ryo handed Megumi his plate before making his way to his mistress, which gave the girls plenty of opportunity to gang up on Megumi.

"You didn't tell us you were going on a date!" Yuki half asked and half accused, making Megumi falter momentarily.

"We just decided earlier…" She trailed off, hoping Ryo would hurry back so she could get out of the impending interrogation. The girls were less likely to continue questioning her if Ryo was around, and Megumi wasn't sure she could hold her ground when she had just found out she was going on a date.

"Where are you going?" Ryoko asked at the same time Nikumi asked what she was going to wear.

"It's a surprise?" Megumi nervously ran her fingers over the edge of Ryo's plate.

"Megumi, no. It's your first date, you've gotta dress up." Yuki insisted, backed by the other girls. Right, it was her first date. Ever. The realization suddenly hit Megumi and her panic meter filled up considerably. She had no idea how dates worked and she didn't even know where she was going yet. Did she have to dress a certain way? Was Ryo serious or did he just say it to get the girls worked up? He hadn't mentioned anything when they were in her room, had he decided on a whim?

"Megumi?" Nikumi touched her arm gingerly, snapping Megumi out of her thoughts. Nikumi gently took the plate from Megumi and placed it on the table behind them.

"Yes?" Megumi blinked a couple of times. When she saw all the girls looking at her with concern, she scrambled for something to tell them. "Sorry, I guess I'm just nervous about the date." It wasn't far from the truth and she felt strangely exposed admitting it.

"Don't-" Whatever the girls were going to say was cut off by the arrival of Erina and Hisako. Yuki lit up and bounded towards them, forgetting all about her previous conversation and sparing Megumi momentarily.

"Erinacchi! You're late!" Yuki complained, rushing to hug the newcomers and latching herself onto Erina with a pout.

"Sorry, the board meeting dragged out." Erina apologized as Hisako peeled Yuki off the head mistress while sternly scolding the ginger girl. Yuki simply dragged both the girls into the middle of the room so they could say their hellos and be caught up in the party mood. The ginger girl more or less shoved Erina against Souma and stood back to enjoy the show.

Souma brightened considerably and caught Erina around the waist, kissing her soundly and receiving cheers from Yuki and Alice. Erina turned beet red and struggled to break his hold on her. The usual stab of pain that Megumi had come to associate with jealousy was replaced with a dull ache, which made her feel a sense of relief. Megumi's eyes shifted from the couple in time to catch the pained look on Nikumi's face, and Megumi's heart went out to her friend.

She wanted to say something to soothe or distract Nikumi, but Ryoko beat her to it and struck up conversation about a new deep conditioning hair mask she had tried recently. The blonde looked relieved when the topic changed, but glanced in the direction of Erina and Souma every so often.

Megumi felt bad for her and desperately thought of something to say, but she kept drawing a blank. Would Yuki and Ryoko have tried to distract her the same way, if Ryo hadn't asked her out? Probably. As it was, Megumi just wanted to soothe a little of the pain Nikumi was feeling, but she didn't know how. She was brought out of her reverie by a feminine voice calling out to her.

"Good evening." Erina had managed to escape from Souma's hold and stood in front of Megumi with flushed cheeks and mussed hair. Hisako was right behind her and greeted them all with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Nakiri-san! Good evening. Arato-san too." Megumi greeted.

"We're so happy that you made it!" Ryoko flashed them a bright smile. "How have you been?"

"Well enough, and yourself?" Erina asked politely.

"We've been working hard to improve." Ryoko told her and promptly handed Erina and Hisako paper cups filled to the brim with rice juice. Megumi wondered how Ryoko produced the cups out of nowhere, when she had been empty-handed a few seconds ago.

"Is that so?" Erina asked softly, a small smile gracing her features. The headmistress finally seemed to take note of Nikumi and addressed her. "Hello, Mito-san."

"Erina-sama! Um, long time no see." Nikumi replied, fidgeting with the drink in her hands.

"Have you been busy with your family business? It's been a while." Hisako asked, taking an experimental sniff of her drink and slowly bringing it to her lips. She let out a pleased sound as she tasted the rice juice and Erina followed suit.

"Ah, yeah," Nikumi laughed nervously. "You know how it is…" She trailed off and looked down. Erina and Hisako exchanged glances, but just as Erina wanted Nikumi to elaborate, Yuki came bouncing back, followed by everyone else from the dorm except Isshiki, who was talking to the Ryo and the Aldini brothers.

"Erinacchi! Now that you're here, it's time to taste our dishes! We worked super hard!" Yuki's excitement was contagious and Megumi couldn't help but smile. Aoki, Sato and Marui stood behind Yuki, all looking determined. "It's time, Nakiri-chan!" Aoki cried out, backed by Sato.

"Seems like I have no choice, but I won't go easy on you." Erina promised them and got ready to judge their creations.

* * *

Once Erina was done taste testing all the Polar star dishes and giving her critiques, it was unanimously decided that it was time for party games. Megumi had silently moved to the side lines and was watching her friends argue about what game to play with a fond smile on her face.

Hayama appeared next to her looking exasperated and fell into the seat next to her on the couch. "Is everyone in your dorm always this… hyper?" He asked in disbelief. Yukihira and Yoshino were arguing loudly over whether to play a card game or a murder mystery, swinging their arms wildly. It really shouldn't have surprised him, but he had never made it to one of their parties before and was glad he hadn't been subjected to this torture before. It was exhausting.

Megumi hummed thoughtfully, "Yes, but they mean well."

Hayama shot her a suspicious look, but didn't press any further. He stayed with Megumi for a while and they shared stories of how their weeks had been. Takumi and Isami also made their way to their little corner and joined the conversation for a while. Even Isshiki stopped by before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Hayama-kun, there you are!" Alice appeared next to them and latched onto Hayama's arm. "Oh good, Megumi and the Aldinis, you're here too. We are about to play truth or dare, come join us!" Alice started dragging a protesting Hayama with her, while Megumi politely declined. She needed to rest for a while and chose stay behind. The twins decided to join the game and waved at Megumi before following Alice.

Once Megumi was alone, she released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding in. She was starting to feel weary and wondered if it was too early to go back to her room. Glancing at the wall clock, she came to the conclusion that it probably was, but she still needed to take a break so she pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her blog absentmindedly.

Megumi was faintly aware that Ryo was having a shouting match with Souma and Hayama and she overheard him challenging them both to a shokugeki right then and there. Smiling to herself, Megumi kept scrolling. Some things never changed. Slowly, she tuned out the conversations and found herself focusing entirely on her phone. A couple of minutes passed and Megumi felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. She had a bad feeling.

"Megumi!" Ryo roared her name and made her jump.

She turned to see Ryo with his bandana on, making a beeline for her. With a squeak of surprise Megumi was hauled to her feet, and slung over Ryo's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He carried her over to an empty chair and jumped into the seat before pulling her down to sit on his lap. It went so fast that Megumi didn't have time to register what was going on around her. She noticed Ryo, Alice and Souma arguing very close by and finally looked up and she froze on the spot when she noticed everyone else looking at her.

"What-" The question died on Megumi's tongue when she felt Ryo's arms around her waist and was pulled back so that she was flush against his front. His chest rumbled as he spoke and his voice sounded right behind Megumi's ear, "Alright, she's here. Now get on with the dare!"

"Ryo-kun, you brute! You can't just manhandle Megumi like that!" Alice was scolding Ryo and shooting Megumi a worried look. The petite girl had gone stiff as a board and her eyes were impossibly wide.

"It was the fastest way to get her here!" Ryo defended, glaring daggers at Alice.

"You were the one who dared him to bring her, Nakiri." Souma pointed out with a laugh.

"Hush you," Alice pointed a threatening finger at Souma, before turning back to Ryo with her hands on her hips, "and you, stop screaming in Megumi's ears or she'll go deaf."

Before Ryo could snarl at her, Alice quickly plucked the bandana off his head and Megumi felt him deflate behind her. She still had no idea what was going on, she just wanted to go back to the couch, but Ryo's grip on her waist didn't allow her to escape. Megumi looked around frantically for help and locked eyes with Hisako who looked at her sympathetically. Next to her Erina's hand stretched out and back a few times. She looked torn between being embarrassed on Megumi's behalf and wanting to help her get out of the situation.

Megumi looked around again, looking for anyone to save her, but Nikumi was still talking to Isami and Ryoko, while the polar star boys were still recovering from Erina's evaluation of their dishes. Isshiki was nowhere to be seen. Megumi tried to get up from where she was being held, but Ryo's grip on her was surprisingly strong. Finally, Yuki came skipping and Megumi felt hope bloom in her chest at the sight of her best friend. She should have known better.

"Kurokiba, you have to sit there for ten minutes straight without Megumi dying." Yuki announced his dare, looking way too smug. Her cheeks were flushed red and she was grinning uncontrollably as she shared a conspiratorial look with Alice, who was watching Megumi and Ryo very closely.

"'Kay." Ryo leaned back in the chair and pulled Megumi with him. She didn't know what to do, she wanted to run away and hide, but if she showed such an outwards reaction to sitting on Ryo's lap, their friends would no doubt be suspicious.

Megumi took a deep breath to fight off the nerves and pushed them to the back of her mind. She couldn't freak out right now, when she had the opportunity to prove to Alice that she really was Ryo's girlfriend. If only Alice's wasn't so sharp and Yuki so fond of rice juice, Megumi wouldn't be sitting here, dying from embarrassment. She couldn't help but wonder how other couples were able to be so openly affectionate in public.

"Megumi?" Ryo spoke right next to her ear and she fought not to flinch. He stilled for a second until Megumi breathed deeply and gathered herself. "Yes?" She whispered and turned her head slightly to the side.

"Do you have your phone with you?" Megumi nodded mutely and pulled out her phone from her pocket. She was surprised she hadn't dropped it when Ryo kidnapped her, but she was glad to have something to occupy her hands with.

"Show me the recipes you were talking about earlier." Ryo's arms were still around her waist, but his grip had loosened. Megumi still considered jumping out of his arms and bolting, but she had a feeling that she would be caught very quickly and the dare would probably be changed to something even more mortifying. Besides, Ryo was asking her to show him what could easily take up hours of her time if she wasn't careful, it was the perfect distraction to take her mind off the torture she was being inflicted.

"Okay," she nodded and opened her favorite app.

Very quickly the two chefs were engrossed in the short video recipes and quietly doing their own commentary of what they would have done differently. Their focus was so intense that they didn't take note of the smirks sent their way as their friends continued to play their game, arguing the entire time.

Megumi hadn't even noticed that Ryo had placed his chin on her shoulder until she turned to say something and his nose brushed against her ear and cheek. She quickly snapped her head back and stared at her phone instead, her heart now pounding at his proximity and her mind hyperaware of the heat rolling off him everywhere she was in contact with. She could feel his chest rising and falling against her back and she tried to shift a little so she wasn't glued to his front. Ryo didn't notice her shifting, too absorbed in the video that was currently playing.

"Send me that one too. I can probably make it work with scallops." He nodded to the screen and shifted slightly in the chair, jostling Megumi and adjusting his grip on her.

"O-okay," she stammered and added the video to their message thread with shaky fingers. If Ryo noticed her sudden fidgeting he didn't say, and instead watched on as she scrolled through her feed, stopping her when his eye caught something interesting.

"We should try making some of these dishes when you come over." Ryo inclined his head towards her phone, his chin still resting on her shoulder. She could barely focus when he was leaning on her so casually. She really needed to get away.

"Oh, um, sure…" Megumi's voice trailed off, still considering her escape opportunities. Ryo turned his head and eyed her critically, his gaze making her feel like he was staring straight into her mind. "What's-"

"Eh, you guys are still sitting there? The dare was over like 15 minutes ago." Yuki came up to them and Megumi finally jumped up, relieved that it was over. She glanced at Ryo, who was slowly getting up and stretching his limbs, but his eyes hadn't quite left her. His brow creased slightly and he regarded her carefully. Megumi didn't have time to interpret his gaze, since she was quickly swept up in Yuki's pace and dragged to where Erina, Souma and Hisako were talking.

* * *

The night breeze was pleasant on Megumi's skin as she stepped out on the balcony for a bit of an escape. The sound of chatter and music could still be heard through the heavy balcony doors and the good mood from downstairs easily followed her outside. The sun had gone down ages ago, and Megumi stood barely illuminated by the light from inside.

Although she had been having fun, Megumi was _tired_. It was hard to keep up her act with Ryo and she found herself regretting that she had agreed to help him just a little. In all honesty it wasn't that bad. Megumi knew that Yuki and Ryoko only teased her because her reactions were so strong. They would probably grow tired of it soon enough. Megumi sighed and leaned her arms against the railing, sinking a little. A new breeze blew past her and she felt herself relaxing.

It had been a stressful week, and she hadn't quite managed to completely relax yet. Megumi was looking forward to going back home during summer vacation. She idly wondered if she would have to keep up the act with Ryo until then. Summer break was a little over two months away, but maybe Alice would find someone to date before then. For now, Megumi just sought a few moments of quiet. A couple of minutes went by before the doors to the balcony opened and closed again.

"Megumi." It was Ryo's voice that called out to her, and she was not surprised that he had sought her out. She turned around and watched him approach, hands in his pockets as usual. Megumi was relieved to see that his red bandana was wrapped around his wrist again.

"Ryo-kun, hi." Megumi straightened as he came to a stop next to her.

"Aren't you cold out here?" He asked, side-eyeing her. She was dressed in a thin, long sleeved shirt, but hadn't put on a jacket or a sweater even as the temperature continued to drop.

"No, it's fine. I needed some air and the breeze feels nice." She explained, and as if on cue, a breeze tousled Ryo's bangs. "So, I see." They stood quietly next to one another and Megumi appreciated his silent company. It gave her time to build up courage to ask if he had been serious about going out tomorrow, or if it was a joke.

"Um, Ryo-kun…" Megumi started and glanced at him. In the dim light, he cut an imposing figure and somehow looked even taller than usual. She felt tiny next to him and found herself struggling to ask her question. The way his eyes lazily slid in her direction did nothing to help with her words and Megumi found herself fiddling with her fingers instead of speaking.

Ryo suddenly leaned into her space and placed a hand on Megumi's waist, which made her squeak in surprise. Smirking, Ryo pulled her closer so that only a few inches of space remained between them. Leaning down to her ear, he whispered. "We have an audience." She looked up at Ryo in alarm and saw him glance in the direction of the door. When Megumi discreetly looked out from the corner of her eyes, she easily spotted the poorly concealed heads of Yuki, Ryoko and Nikumi.

Ryo put some space between them, but was still close enough that his hand didn't leave Megumi's waist. Meanwhile, Megumi struggled not to explode from embarrassment. Hadn't she been through enough today? She had only stepped out on the balcony to have a few moments to herself, but now that Ryo was here, it definitely looked like they were trying to be alone. Once again, Megumi felt the twinge of regret making itself known in her chest.

"The easiest way to get rid of them is to play along," Ryo whispered. Megumi was certain that the girls wouldn't have heard him, but she couldn't help but let her eyes dart in their direction and back to Ryo, who was gauging her reaction. He had a point. If the girls were spying on them, it was because they were hoping to see some development. If they believed what they saw, maybe Alice would too.

Megumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Ryo once again put his arms around her waist, embracing her loosely. She didn't know what to do with her hands and settled for placing them lightly on Ryo's forearms. His tall frame shielded Megumi from the wind, and the warmth he radiated made her notice that she was starting to feel cold. "Do you think Alice-san is with them?" Megumi asked, her voice sounding breathy.

"I didn't see her, but she might be." Ryo whispered and used his thumbs to rub small circles on Megumi's back. Megumi felt extremely shy all of a sudden and couldn't bring herself to look at Ryo. She could feel his gaze on her face and wondered if he ever felt flustered like she did.

"Ready?" He asked and started leaning in. Megumi gave a tiny nod, but squeezed her eyes shut. At least she was getting a warning this time, she thought, as Ryo softly pressed his lips to Megumi's forehead.

He pulled back and brought a hand up to brush away some of Megumi's bangs, but he let his hand linger on her face. Megumi felt her cheeks heat up and slowly opened her eyes. There was a degree of softness to Ryo's expression that Megumi hadn't seen before, and she found herself bound by his gaze.

"Let's go back inside." Ryo suggested and used his arm, still on her back, to gently turn Megumi towards the balcony door. Megumi could have sworn she heard scrambling from the door, but when she looked over, no one was there.

Ryo snorted beside her and offered her his hand, which she grabbed without a second thought. Megumi followed Ryo back to the dining room where she saw all the girls grouped together. Once they caught sight of Megumi, Yuki and Ryoko subtly gave her two thumbs up while Nikumi looked to the side, cheeks tinged pink.

"Megumi," Ryo stopped a ways away from the rest of their friends. "About tomorrow…" He leaned down and told her what he had planned and Megumi instantly found herself looking forward to their date.

They were interrupted by Alice, who was once again bodily dragging Hayama around, and waved them closer. Ryo and Megumi joined them and went back to mingling with everyone else until Fumio-san entered and called the party off.

* * *

**Okay, party's over, so next time is their first date. Until then (=w=)/**


	10. Chapter 10

The moment Ryo had told Megumi that they were going to the fish market in the morning, she had felt excitement course through her. Since joining the Elite 10 she had barely had time to swing by the bustling hub of business and she had been looking forward to it all night. Coming with Ryo had the added benefit that Megumi could observe his habits and hopefully pick up some tips and tricks from him as she honed her own selection skills.

At least, her plan had been to observe Ryo, but she had been swept up in the atmosphere as soon as they entered, and was feeling giddy with excitement. The marketplace was bustling with activity as always, and Megumi let herself be fully enveloped by the hectic atmosphere. Her gaze swept quickly from vendor to vendor as she made her way into the center of the market, mentally mapping out what stalls to hit up first.

"Earth to Megumi," Ryo called, "Watch where you are going." She felt his hand grip her shoulder and stopped just in time to avoid stepping on a slippery sheet of plastic that would no doubt have sent her skating across the floor. She smiled gratefully up at him as he let go of her shoulder. "Sorry," Megumi apologized, "I guess I got a little too excited. It's been a while since I was last here."

"Ah."

"Is there anywhere in particular you would like to go?" Megumi asked as she surveyed all the stalls in their proximity. Ryo quickly glanced around. "Anywhere is fine," he replied quietly.

"Then how about here?" She suggested the next row of stalls and started leading the way, mindful of where she was stepping. Ryo didn't say anything, choosing instead to follow closely behind Megumi.

They had moved away from the center of the market and down the far side of the establishment, where many of the vendors recognized them and waved. Megumi knew that Ryo was well-known to every fisherman and vendor here, but she was surprised to find that she was greeted just as much when they stopped to exchange pleasantries at several stalls.

It took only a few minutes before Megumi noticed how uncharacteristically quiet her companion was being and slowed her pace to observe him. Ryo was by no means a chatterbox, but he usually made small talk when they were together, and he definitely conversed with the vendors at the market. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, she saw him staring blankly into the air and instantly went to his side.

"Ryo-kun," Megumi tugged at his sleeve, a look of concern coming over her face. "Are you not feeling well?" Ryo came to a stop and blinked blearily.

"I'm fine, just low blood pressure," he shared. He was looking paler than usual and his dark circles seemed even more prominent. Megumi felt guilty for being caught up in her own excitement and not noticing how sluggish he felt. Ryo must have caught her expression since he chose to elaborate. "Miss dragged us into a card game after we got back to the mansion last night, and it went on well into the night."

"Did you pull an all-nighter?" Megumi frowned. The last thing Ryo needed on top of his busy life was to be sleep deprived.

"More or less," he shrugged.

Megumi's frown deepened as she thought. She had not known that Ryo suffered from low blood pressure, but maybe she could help him out. Running through her mental catalogue of remedies, Megumi's gaze swept around the stalls until her eyes landed on what she was looking for. There. "Wait here, I'll be right back." She told Ryo and took off before he could stop her.

Ryo watched her until she disappeared among the throngs of people and resisted the urge to sigh. Wondering where Megumi went off to, Ryo leaned back against a wooden pole of a stall and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. The bustling sounds of the market felt soothing and he took a deep breath as he rested his eyes and waited for Megumi to return. He couldn't tell her that he had been up half the night watching videos on BuzzfeedTasty and saving them to recreate them, after she had shown him the page.

Another minute passed before he opened his eyes and let them roam over the different stands in the vicinity, offering polite nods when someone waved at him. A few moments later Megumi reappeared in front of him with a steaming paper cup in her hands that she held out to him. Ryo raised his brows questioningly.

"Black tea," she offered as he gingerly took the cup from her. "Caffeinated drinks are good for raising blood pressure. There was also coffee, but I wasn't sure how you take yours and I didn't want to make you wait, so I went with the tea inste-"

"Thanks." Ryo cut her off and she looked away bashfully. He raised the cup to his lips and sipped the warm tea, feeling its gentle heat wash over him.

He was acutely aware that his current condition was his own fault, but he was very grateful that Megumi was with him and had picked up on his discomfort. If she hadn't, he would just have toughed it out as usual and would have ended up feeling worse later. He was no stranger to getting through the day with little to no sleep, but he appreciated her concern and immediate action. The tea was already making him feel more alert, a few more minutes and he would be fine.

Ryo was brought back to the present by Megumi mumbling something as she rifled through her bag. Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, a triumphant 'Aha' sounded from her and she pulled out a granola bar. "If you'd like, you can have this too. It might make you feel better." She offered shyly, waiting for him to take it. He looked at her in disbelief for a few seconds, before shaking his head.

"Why am I not surprised that you carry granola bars around?" Ryo asked with a hint of amusement in his voice as he reached for the granola bar. It was just like her to do that.

"They've come in handy many times when I've been running late." She smiled, happy that he didn't refuse her. She had made it a habit to carry around quick and easy snacks, and more than once they had been useful for herself and the people around her.

"So I see." They stood together in silence as Ryo sipped his tea and ate the granola bar. Megumi wandered over to the closest stalls looking over the fresh hauls, but watched Ryo carefully from time to time. She was happy to see some of the color return to his cheeks. Once Ryo drained the rest of his tea and tossed away the trash, they resumed walking.

Megumi shared stories from her family inn, while Ryo was content to listen. Occasionally, Megumi would ask questions about what Ryo typically looked for at the different vendors and he would explain and point out his favorite spots.

They had been so deep in conversation that Megumi hadn't noticed Ryo loosely gripping her hand as they walked, and she fought not to blush when she saw the coy smiles of the vendors that knew Ryo. Megumi had no doubt that the gossip would spread like wildfire and mentally braced herself for the knowing looks she would receive the next time she came here. At least she had gotten used to the hand holding and wasn't bothered by it.

They walked past a stall making takoyaki, and the delicious scent wafting through the air made Megumi's mouth water. She was sorely tempted to buy some and asked Ryo if he wanted any, to which he shook his head.

"We are going to have breakfast at a café nearby as soon as we finish up here." Ryo revealed as he gently steered her towards a sizeable display of seerfish that had caught his eye. That was news to her.

"Oh! I am fine with eating back at the dorm, though…" Megumi was surprised that Ryo had also planned breakfast for their date, but she didn't want to impose when he wasn't feeling that well. Besides, he had already picked her up in one of the Nakiri cars at six in the morning, and she would feel guilty for taking up even more of his time when he needed to rest. It was already close to 8 o'clock, he must have been exhausted.

"Don't worry about it. Miss Alice would kill me if I brought you here and we didn't eat before leaving." Ryo assured her, casually inspecting a display.

While Megumi wanted to protest that he didn't have to go to such lengths, she was actually starting to feel the first signs of hunger, and she had to admit that she was curious about where he planned to bring her. Curiosity aside, she was a tiny bit worried about what else he might have planned for their first date and decided to ask him after they left the market.

"Alright then," she agreed.

* * *

It turned out that Ryo had planned to bring her to a café that he frequently dined at. It was located just down the street, and Megumi was surprised that it was open this early since they weren't part of the fish market.

The café itself was a decent size with seating options both in- and outdoors, and it had an American feel to it. The staff also seemed to be international and Megumi easily spotted a group of foreigners already seated at a table outside. It was very popular among tourists who came to visit the fish market, Ryo told her as they were led to a table and seated by a bubbly waitress.

Perusing the menu, Megumi confirmed her hunch that it was an American type of café. The breakfast options resembled a typical western brunch with various types of eggs, sausages, fruits, baked goods and even cereal that you could mix and match to suit your preferences. With so many options, Megumi had a hard time choosing what to order.

Ryo's eyes easily slid down the menu and a moment later he placed it back down, having already decided his order. He had mentioned earlier that he ate here frequently, so Megumi asked for his recommendations and put together her breakfast platter. As soon as Megumi put down her menu, the waitress appeared and took their order with a beaming smile.

Once they were left alone, Megumi noticed that she was about to have breakfast with Ryo without anyone else around and suddenly found herself scrambling for something to fill the silence with. While she had spent copious amounts of time with him this week, she suddenly felt a little self-conscious sitting in front of him and waiting for their food.

She had enjoyed walking around with Ryo at the fish market and hadn't found it to be awkward at all, but now she felt fidgety. Sure, she had already gotten to know him better, but they hadn't quite reached that stage where the silences weren't awkward. Ryo didn't seem to mind and was busy with something on his phone. Megumi resisted the urge to also pull out her phone as they waited, but decided to leave it in her bag for now.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, not able to take the silence any longer.

"Yeah, thanks." He looked up from his screen and placed his phone on the table, focusing instead on Megumi. He didn't look as pale as he had earlier, so she believed him and steered the conversation in a different direction.

"That's good… Do you usually come here with Alice-san?" Ryo nodded.

"We found this place not long after we moved to Japan. The food here reminds us of Denmark."

"Really? How so?" Megumi asked eagerly. Ryo proceeded to explain the similarities and differences between Danish and American breakfast culture, and Megumi found herself to be intrigued. Her own experience with European cuisine was predominantly French, Italian and Spanish, but listening to Ryo describe his favorite food from his childhood made her itch to travel all over Europe again.

It wasn't long before the waitress returned with their drinks and placed them on the table. She flashed them another bright smile and informed them that their food would be ready shortly. Thanking her, Megumi grabbed her coffee and juice and moved them to the side. She would wait for the food to arrive before taking her mandatory picture for instagram. She could feel Ryo's eyes on her, but waited to look up until she was satisfied with the placement of her drinks.

"I meant to tell you earlier that Miss wants you to come by later today." He nonchalantly told her and reached for his coffee, while watching her reaction.

"Today?" Megumi forgot all about taking pictures and paled considerably. How long had he been waiting to drop that bomb on her?

Ryo casually sipped his coffee, "She wants to watch a movie together, so she won't be grilling you about our date. At least, I don't think so. It seems like she is also inviting Miss Erina, Yukihira and Hayama. Arato is busy and won't be there."

"Right…" Megumi trailed off and decided to fret over it later, when she decided what to do.

At the mention of Hayama, Megumi remembered something she and Ryoko had discussed the previous day. "Ryo-kun, did you notice that Alice-san seemed to stay close to Hayama-kun yesterday?" She asked and stirred her juice with her straw. Ryo thought for a second, looking at her quizzically.

"Well, she is closer to him than she is with most guys." He replied, swirling the contents of his cup around.

"Yes, but she doesn't seem interested in most guys." Megumi held her breath as she waited for Ryo's reaction. He blinked slowly, "What?"

"I noticed yesterday that she was paying him extra attention." Megumi let it sink in for a few seconds before she continued her explanation, "She touched and dragged him around a lot more than usual and now she has specifically invited him to watch a movie with, uh, two couples. Even if it is just evening out the numbers, it seems to me like she might be interested in him."

Ryo didn't know what to say, so he took another long sip of his coffee. He had been busy yesterday keeping track of Megumi and had been grateful that his mistress didn't constantly demand his attention, but the thought of her showing interest in Hayama made his skin crawl the tiniest bit.

Ryo could feel Megumi watching him from across the table and set his now empty cup of coffee down. But now that he thought about it, Alice had definitely amped up the charm and had hung off every word Hayama said the previous night.

"You might be onto something," he grudgingly admitted. Leave it to Alice to take interest in one of the two banes of Ryo's existence. Still, if she was going to date someone, he preferred it be someone she already knew and trusted. Hayama might be an ass, but Ryo also knew he would treat Alice right even if she got on his nerves.

Megumi silently watched the conflicting emotions on Ryo's face and waited for him to digest the information. As he stared at the table top, she wondered why he looked uncomfortable at the thought of Hayama and Alice together. Hayama was a nice guy and would be able to be the voice of reason to Alice's impulsiveness, and Alice would likely make him loosen up and make him more spontaneous.

Their respective musings were forgotten when their food arrived, and Megumi was delighted to see the spread. It looked amazing and was so aesthetically pleasing that her phone magically appeared in her hand, so she could capture it. She busied herself by adjusting the plating to all fit into one picture, and pointedly ignored Ryo's amused snort when she took pictures from different angles and even adjusted the plates on his side.


	11. Chapter 11

The food tasted just as wonderful as it looked and Megumi enjoyed every bite. It was no wonder that Ryo came here often, the food was amazing and the staff was super nice. They discussed the flavor profiles and textures as they ate, and Megumi even sampled some of Ryo's favorites. He seemed to be doing much better now that he had eaten and sat down for a while.

Ryo was on his third cup of coffee when Megumi decided to ask about their plans for the rest of their day. She hoped he hadn't gone overboard. They had already been to the fish market and eaten breakfast together, so she was content to call it a day.

"Well, I had planned out the entire day, but you seem like you would rather have some down time," he glanced at her, "and I could honestly use a nap." Megumi felt a little stir in her chest, relieved that he knew her well enough to know her needs and happy that he was honest about what he needed. She hadn't expected him to straight up tell her that he needed a nap, but it made it easier to spend time with him that he didn't hide his discomfort.

"Are you sure? You went through the trouble of planning so much…" Megumi let the words hang in the air, but Ryo just nodded. "It's fine. We can go another time."

"Alright then." They sat in silence for a few minutes, finishing up their respective drinks.

Megumi's phone let out a ping at the same time as Ryo's phone vibrated across the table. It was most likely a coincidence, but when she saw that it was a new video from one of the food bloggers she followed, a thought occurred to her. She looked up at Ryo, wondering, and he calmly held her gaze, the rest of his face expressionless. Interesting.

Her sneaking suspicion was confirmed as another notification appeared on her phone, when their respective phones pinged and vibrated simultaneously. Ryo looked like a deer caught in headlights and Megumi felt a smile light up her face at the sight. She knew he had liked all the videos she sent him yesterday and now she had proof.

"Is that-"

"Not a word," Ryo grumbled. Megumi felt victorious.

* * *

Once they were done eating, the two chefs went back to the fish market while they waited to be picked up by one of the Nakiri cars. After some discussion, Ryo and Megumi had decided that they would head to the dorm to relax before heading to the Nakiri mansion later on. Their course of action was to sneak in through the side entrance and stealthily make their way to Megumi's room. Her friends would no doubt interrogate them about their morning, but it was still pretty early so it would be fairly easy to get in undetected.

"Say, why are we sneaking in? Isn't it natural for us to be seen together at your place." Ryo asked as the car sped along, quickly approaching the dorm.

"…I guess it is." Megumi hadn't really considered that. Her plan had been to sneak Ryo in and let him sleep in her room, but he had a point. Their relationship was no secret, so there was probably no need to sneak around. Fumio-san did, however, have very strict rules for couples and Megumi did not have the nerve to tell him about them. "It's just a little embarrassing to be bringing a boy home." She replied instead, her cheeks heating up.

"Better get used to it," Ryo smirked. Megumi tried to ignore the dread that crept up her spine.

Moments later the car came to a stop outside the dorm gates and the two of them grabbed their things before making their way to the front door. Megumi prayed to the gods that no one would intercept them on the way up and was immensely relieved when she opened the door and found the entrance hall to be unusually quiet.

She swiftly climbed the stairs to the third floor, hyperaware of Ryo keeping pace with her. She was really letting a boy sleep in her bed. God, what would her mother think? Still, Ryo had been so nice as to plan a date and he had insisted on paying for the food as well as her purchases. The least she could do was to let him sleep when he had been up all night. He had almost dozed off twice during their car ride. Taking a deep breath, Megumi unlocked her door and led him inside, once again grateful for her habit of keeping her room tidy.

"Ryo-kun, you can sleep in here as long as you want. I'll be downstairs, but you can call me if you need anything." In the blink of an eye, Ryo had discarded his jacket and slippers and fell into her bed before she even had the chance to change the sheets.

"Thanks," he mumbled, already half asleep. Much to her amazement, his breathing was already slowing and evening out.

Megumi quietly hung up her own jacket, before she moved to draw the curtains. Careful not to make too much sound she draped a large blanket over him, grabbed the cooler they had brought up with them and stealthily left the room.

The dorm was very quiet for a Saturday morning and Megumi idly wondered where all her dorm mates had gone, before she remembered that some of them had Shokugekis scheduled and likely wouldn't be back for a while. Even months after the new Elite 10 council was formed, the new trend of challenging others left and right still hadn't died down, and the Polar Star residents were frequently involved in showdowns.

As she made her way down to the kitchen, Megumi decided that it was a rare chance to get some training in, now that she had the entire kitchen for herself. She and Ryo had found some great looking tiger-prawn and she couldn't wait to try them. Perhaps she could use them for lunch today, but that led to the question of what to make. Lately she had been on a Mediterranean food kick and she already had an idea of a dish forming in the back of her mind that would put the prawns to good use.

As expected the kitchen was blissfully empty and Megumi got to work straight away. She grabbed onions, tomatoes, fish and clams from around the kitchen and left the prawns inside the cooler. Instantly she got lost in the process of washing, prepping and chopping the things needed to make her recipe work.

It had been a strange couple of weeks, she thought as she chopped onions and heated oil up in a wide frying pan. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that she would let Kurokiba Ryo sleep in her bed, let it alone become his girlfriend. She had gotten to know her classmate a little better this week and already she felt like he was someone she was going to appreciate getting closer to. Ryo was very caring and incredibly observant, and he was witty even if he didn't always show it. To her frying pan she added minced garlic and chili that she stirred a few times, until it became fragrant. She then left it alone for five minutes before adding in tomatoes and some tomato puré.

Megumi got to work on the halibut that was going to be the star of the show, and swiftly filleted it, putting it to the side in a large bowl. Her base was already simmering nicely and she was waiting to add in white wine. She could smell the fresh parsley still on her cutting board, just waiting to be chopped and sprinkled on top of the fish stew, though that was further down in the proces.

Finally she added the wine and inhaled deeply, the intermingling scents taking her back to her trip to Europe earlier in the spring. Becoming the 10th seat meant that Megumi was free to travel often, but she also had classes and administrative work to do, so she had limited her traveling to the breaks for now. Still, the scent of her dish as she stirred in fish stock and orange zest made her itch to travel to someplace far away and learn more about cooking in other cultures. She definitely wanted to go to India soon, but she was also tempted to visit the remaining countries on her Europe tour. Megumi slowly added the chunks of halibut and carefully covered them in sauce as she got lost in her thoughts once more.

Megumi had been on her first date and she had quite liked it. Granted, it had been with someone she was starting to consider her friend, but she had still enjoyed herself. She was surprised at how easily she and Ryo had interacted all day and hoped it wouldn't wear off anytime soon. If she was going to survive a movie marathon with Alice and the others, she needed Ryo and his quiet, comforting presence. As long as they didn't watch anything scary she would be fine.

A particularly loud popping sound from her pan brought her attention back to her current task, and Megumi decided to leave that particular thought to the side for now. Luckily, nothing had stuck to the bottom or been burnt while she was distracted. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, added clams and prawns to the pot and waited patiently for the clams to start opening. After another five minutes she took it off the heat and grabbed a dish.

Megumi plated up and snapped a few pictures before digging in. She easily cleared a bowl and savored the heat from the spices that lingered on her tongue. Her stew smelled great and the flavors had paired well together, though there was room for improvement.

Ryo could probably think of ways to make the dish shine, she thought. It had been more than an hour since she left him upstairs, maybe she should check on him. If he slept for too long it would completely disrupt his sleep pattern, which would only make things worse for him the next few days.

Once she was done cleaning up, she steeled her resolve and prepared another bowl, intent on bringing it upstairs and have Ryo taste it. She hoped he would like her stew.

Back upstairs Megumi hesitated a little before cracking open the door and peering inside. From where she was standing, it looked like he was still asleep, but she wasn't sure and had to take a closer look. She hadn't even stepped fully into the room when Ryo stirred. He turned to his side, blinking blearily in the semi-darkness and regarded her with some confusion.

"Hi there." Megumi spoke softly and placed the tray down on her small table. "Hey." His voice was slightly gruff from sleep. He inhaled deeply and stretched out on her bed, before turning his gaze back to her as she opened the curtains and let in some more light.

"Sorry I woke you, but it's been almost two hours," Megumi gestured to the table next to the bed, " and I brought you something to eat."

"Hmm." Ryo slowly got up into a sitting position and massaged his shoulder. "Thanks for waking me. Any longer and I wouldn't have been able to sleep tonight."

"Are you feeling better?" She asked tentatively.

"Loads. Headache's gone." Ryo joined her on the floor and accepted the bowl she handed him with a muttered thanks.

"Maybe you wouldn't have had a headache, if you didn't use your phone all night." Megumi suggested innocently and took great joy in how Ryo's spoon stopped halfway up to his mouth. He sent her a withering glare that would have sent her running months ago, but now she knew him well enough to spot the underlying embarrassment.

"Cheeky." Ryo grumbled under his breath and finally took a bite, though his expression revealed a hint of approval. He chewed thoughtfully and analyzed all the flavors carefully. Megumi could almost see the gears in his head turning and forgot all about teasing him.

"How is it?" She asked almost shyly, awaiting his assessment. Ryo was, after all, a chef Megumi held in high esteem and some part of her wanted to impress him.

"It's very cohesive. I think you could have used a little more orange, but it's still good." He took a few more bites and made another suggestion, but spent the rest of the time silently eating. Megumi felt pride well up in her after hearing his words and looked away to hide her smile.

As a distraction she pulled out her phone and went through the pictures she had taken of her breakfast and her fish stew, checking to see if she wanted to post them on her social media

"We should at least have taken a picture to commemorate our first date." Ryo remarked out of the blue as he ate another spoonful of stew. Megumi looked bewildered for a moment, before replying in a tiny voice. "Oh, I didn't think of that."

"Neither did I," he shrugged. "We can try again next time." His words made Megumi feel better about their missed opportunity and she slowly resumed browsing her pictures.

"You are actually in some of these." Megumi held out her phone to him and he leaned closer. It hadn't been intentional, but she had caught Ryo casually sipping his coffee and later staring out of the window with a thoughtful look on his face. A part of Megumi envied how good he looked in the candid shots. She somehow always managed to look awkward or blink when a photo was taken of her.

"Huh." Ryo finished his stew and leaned back on his hands. "We should probably use pictures of each other for our lockscreens, but it can wait until we take some more." He suggested reasonably. It was a good idea, Megumi thought, even if it still felt a little embarrassing.

"Okay." She agreed timidly. At least he hadn't suggested posting photos together. Now that would have made it hard for her to be onboard with. Although she was technically dating Ryo, she still valued her privacy and was very selective about what she posted on any of her accounts.

Ryo checked the time on his phone and sighed wearily. "We should probably get going, before Miss starts calling us up." He informed Megumi and put the phone to his ear to arrange for another car to come and pick them up. She felt bad about having the Nakiri drivers driving back and forth, but Ryo had already finished his phone call before she could suggest walking.

* * *

Arriving at the Nakiri mansion made Megumi's nerves shoot up. Everything from the tall gates to the massive courtyard made it feel like entering a castle, and she felt like a peasant. Ryo opened the heavy front door and waited for Megumi to enter before he followed and took her hand to lead the way. They went up a giant staircase and down a long hallway without speaking.

Megumi did her best to stay calm, but the realization that she was about to enter a boy's room was making her feel fidgety. Was it really alright for her to be there? Before she had a chance to ask, he stopped in front of a door and ushered her inside.

Ryo's room was very spacious, but also very simple. He had a king sized four-poster bed against the wall on Megumi's left, and under the large windows opposite her, a wide desk made from dark wood and a comfortable looking chair. To her right she spotted a small sofa and a coffee table with some magazines on it.

"Make yourself comfortable," Ryo instructed and disappeared into the adjourning bathroom through a door not far from his bed. She spotted another door that was most likely his closet. His room could easily fit two or three of hers, she estimated.

Looking around once more, Megumi took in the color palette and wooden textures used for furnishing. Most of it was darker colors, but the carpet was a deep red and very plush. All the furniture and the few paintings he had hanging here and there looked very expensive, and she hoped she wouldn't trip and break something.

Megumi wandered over to his desk where she saw a framed picture of Ryo and Alice and gently picked it up. They were both much younger with Alice smiling widely into the camera and Ryo scowling in her direction. It almost made Megumi laugh how years later they still looked exactly the same. She put the frame back down and went to take a seat on the sofa, when a painting above it caught her eye.

A beautiful, white boat was docked in front of a long row of brightly colored buildings. It was set at night and all the buildings were lit up by street lamps. White parasols lined their fronts, but people could be seen walking between them, talking and laughing happily.

"It's called Nyhavn." Ryo's voice startled Megumi out of her thoughts. She hadn't even heard him approaching and had to breathe deeply before she regained her composure.

"Is that where you grew up?" She asked. He nodded and pointed to one of the square buildings on the right. "I was the head chef of this place for a long time." Megumi peered at him and saw what she could probably describe as a fond expression. She wanted to know if he missed it and ever wanted to return there, but she didn't dare ask.

A moment later the door to Ryo's bedroom was flung open and Alice all but marched inside. "Ryo-kun, Megumi, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!" She declared and grabbed both hers and Ryo's hands before pulling them out of the room. "Come along now, we have much to do!" Megumi wondered not for the first time what she had gotten herself into.


	12. Chapter 12

For some reason, Megumi wasn't the slightest bit surprised when Alice dragged her and Ryo to the kitchens to make sure her movie snacks were made exactly as she liked them. All the Nakiri staff, used to Alice's whims and eager to please their young Miss, had already finished preparations. Platters of tiny sandwiches and spears of fruit or cheese were arranged neatly on a table, ready for Alice to inspect.

"Lady Alice, everything you requested has been prepared." One of the chefs stepped forward with a plate full of samples that she eagerly accepted. A hum of delight left Alice as she tasted the selection of finger foods.

Megumi watched in awe as Alice conversed with the chef and changed some minute details that Megumi herself probably wouldn't have noticed. Alice was in her element making suggestions left and right, which Megumi realized was probably a result of her day to day sparring with Ryo and the chefs employed by the Nakiri family.

Megumi glanced at Ryo - who had fallen suspiciously quiet - next to her and was surprised to see him eyeing the platters arranged on the table with quite some intensity. She was even more surprised when Alice turned abruptly, holding up a toothpick with a tiny roll of tortilla, salmon and cream cheese to Megumi. "You have to try this, Megumi. Open wide!" Without waiting for a reply, Alice tipped the roll into Megumi's mouth. Alice's eyes gleamed with satisfaction when Megumi let out an identical sound of delight. "It's delicious!" She exclaimed.

"Here, Ryo-kun, you try one as well." Alice turned to her aide, who had managed to snag an entire plate of samples from the table and was munching away. Megumi tried not to laugh at the exasperated sigh that came from Alice.

"Alright, now that has been taken care of, we can move on to the media room." Alice led the way while telling Megumi about the new speakers that had just been installed a few weeks prior. "-so the sound quality is super crisp and it will feel like we are in there with the characters! It's always fun when they start screaming."

"Oh, I see." Megumi replied softly, while a nagging suspicion made its presence in the back of her mind.

After an endless series of turns and hallways the trio entered a room that was practically a home cinema. A giant flatscreen was mounted on one wall and surrounded by sleek speakers, no doubt designed to amplify the screaming Alice mentioned. Below was a wide media stand with a couple of consoles, remotes and controllers. A soft rug covered the floor all the way to the giant U-shaped couch that could easily seat ten people.

"Ryo-kun, you know the drill!" Alice chirped and made a beeline for the remotes. Ryo nodded and turned to Megumi. "Want to help out?" Not knowing what else to do, she agreed and followed him out of the room. They didn't walk very far, only to a closet down the hall that Ryo opened to reveal an abundance of blankets, pillows and throws.

Grabbing a large wicker basket from somewhere inside, he stuffed as many blankets into it as he could before handing it to Megumi, who raised her brows in question. Then he repeated the process and stuffed a basket full of pillows for himself. "That's how we watch movies." He explained upon noticing Megumi's inquisitive look.

Megumi saw an opportunity to tease Ryo and instantly seized it. "Are you sure you won't just fall back asleep?" She giggled at Ryo's flat look and mumbled response. "As if I would sleep during a movie." That being said, he didn't look sleepy at all. His nap earlier must have done wonders.

"Come on sassy-pants, let's go." Ryo gently rapped his knuckles against Megumi's head as he passed her, coaxing another giggle out of her. She obediently followed him back to the media room, where Alice had brought the screen to life and was muttering to herself as she pushed different buttons.

Ryo proceeded to dump all the pillows on the couch and grabbed a couple of blankets from Megumi's basket that he methodically placed down in the open space in front of the couch.

Wordlessly Megumi grabbed one end of the blanket that Ryo was currently unfolding and helped him spread it out on the floor. When he reached for the pillows and placed them with different intervals on the floor and the couch, she copied him and together they transformed the space inside the U into a cozy nest of pillows and blankets.

Ryo nodded, satisfied with their work, and claimed a seat on the floor where the couch formed a junction. Megumi considered sitting on the couch, but came to the conclusion that it would make more sense to sit next to her boyfriend, when they were all going to be paired off. From the way Ryo shifted to make room for her, she was right. Grabbing a pillow for her back, she sat down next to him.

Meanwhile Alice let out a triumphant 'Aha!' and started rapidly flipping through movie titles on the screen. Megumi had a sinking feeling that Alice had already chosen what movie they were watching and that it was going to be something with horror. She absolutely despised horror movies and wouldn't be able to relax for a minute if they watched something scary.

Maybe Alice is just browsing, she thought weakly, until she saw Alice deliberately select the horror section. Megumi felt her stomach churn and she grabbed hold of Ryo's sleeve, shooting him a pleading look and gesturing frantically to the screen. Ryo's brow quirked up when he caught on and he tilted his head to the side, thinking.

A trailer started playing on the screen and Megumi promptly turned her eyes away from the screen, her grip on Ryo's sleeve tightening. The ominous music made chills run down her spine and she had to physically stop herself from covering her ears once the narration began.

"Oh this one looks interesting," Alice muttered absently as she read the summary. Nodding, she switched to another title and repeated the process. A new trailer started playing and Megumi suddenly found the pattern on the blanket under her very interesting.

"How long until the others arrive, Miss?" Ryo asked, making Alice pause the trailer and look up at the wall clock. "Yukihira-kun and Hayama-kun should be arriving within the next ten minutes, and Erina should already be here. She must still be holed up in her office," she mused out loud and paused her perusal of movie titles. A frown came over her features, but it was quickly replaced by a gleeful expression.

"You two stay here, I'll go take a look." Alice decided and strode out of the room, leaving no room for discussion.

Ryo turned to Megumi with an amused smile on his face. "Are you by any chance bad with scary movies?" She fought the urge to wring her hands together and settled for nodding weakly. She didn't trust herself to speak, but finally let go of Ryo's sleeve.

"If the majority votes against horror, we'll watch something else, but Miss Alice loves horror and will probably try to convince the rest." Ryo informed her and leaned back against the bottom of the couch. "Well, if it gets too scary, you can just hold my hand." He added with a smirk. Megumi felt childish for being relieved at Ryo's offer.

"Thank you," she breathed and sank deeper in her seat. They hadn't even started the movie yet and she was already feeling jittery. She heard him letting out a huff of amusement, but didn't have it in her to be embarrassed. At least she wasn't watching it alone or at night, she consoled herself. Not that she would ever choose to watch a horror movie on her own, still it was nice that Ryo offered his support to ease her nerves.

"Just try to relax, the others aren't even here yet." Ryo suggested and pulled out his phone, allowing Megumi a chance to collect herself. She nodded bravely and did her best to calm down.

It wasn't much longer until they heard conversation and Alice's bubbling laughter coming from the hallway. They could hear Erina chiding her cousin and Souma laughing together with Alice, meaning Erina was probably being teased. Sure enough, when they piled into the room Erina's cheeks were tinged red and Alice was still snickering.

"Oh Tadokoro you're already here?" Souma waved energetically at her from the door. "Kurokiba, hey!" The redhead walked in and plopped down onto the couch, claiming one chaiselong.

"Hi," Megumi waved back with half as much energy, and Ryo gave Souma a curt nod. Erina's greeting was interrupted by her cousin who stepped in front of her, cutting her off.

"I was right, Erina had forgotten all about our plans and was buried in paperwork. Good thing Yukihira-kun was there to distract her, right?" Alice smiled mischievously as Erina cried out in indignation. "Alice!"

"Isn't it natural for her to catch up on paperwork when she is free?" Hayama's cool voice carried over from the door, making him the last to arrive and completing their party of six. Whatever Alice replied was drowned out by Megumi wondering why Hisako was absent, when she had been present yesterday. She made a mental note to ask Ryo later. It was unlike Hisako to be away from Erina's side for long and leave her to deal with paperwork on her own.

Greetings were quickly over and the occupants of the room paired off and got seated in preparation for the movie. They ended up sitting almost in one long row, with Souma on the far right, Erina next to him and Alice between her cousin and Hayama, while Ryo and Megumi remained seated on the floor, surrounded by pillows and blankets.

Exactly as Ryo had predicted, Alice was an advocate for the horror movie she had found while browsing. Surprisingly, Erina immediately jumped on board as did Souma who enjoyed thrillers himself. Hayama was indifferent but didn't suggest any alternatives, which left Megumi as the only one opposing. Ryo offered her a sympathetic pat on the head when the majority won, and handed her a paper bucket of popcorn similar to what you would find at the cinema. Megumi hadn't even noticed the staff from earlier rolling in a small cart with finger food and an assortment of movie snacks and drinks.

"Here you go, Ryo-kun, your usual." Alice chirped and passed him a large bucket of popcorn and a drink. "Thanks, Milady." Ryo leaned over Megumi and accepted his snacks, careful not to jostle her.

The rest of the snacks were quickly distributed amongst them and Megumi wearily eyed her own pile. There was no way she would be able to eat so much during a horror movie, so she picked out a couple of things and offered the rest to Ryo, who looked like Christmas had come early. Megumi took a deep breath and resigned herself to her fate for the next two-ish hours. She would manage somehow.

"Everyone ready?" Alice called out eagerly. At the responses she pressed a few buttons that started the movie.

The lights were dimmed and the screen came to life once again, eerie music already rolling out of the speakers. The plot followed the standard formula for scary movies involving spirits haunting houses, which made it reasonably predictable, but that meant nothing to Megumi, who was on high alert for jump scares from the get go. She had long since gotten used to the sound of her friends snacking or shifting in their seats, but she remained vigilant and glued her eyes to the screen. The first 20 minutes went by without incident, but she held her breath at the first signs of a scare.

Megumi had a system figured out for how to deal with horror movies. When she anticipated a scare, she covered her ears and squinted to get through the scene. Closing her eyes did nothing if she could hear the audio, so she had adjusted her approach to avoiding the sound and still having eyes on the screen. Sucking in another deep breath, Megumi could feel tension building and slowly reached up to cover her ears.

She anticipated another couple of seconds before the actual scare, but jumped when she felt Ryo place his arm around her shoulders and press her closer to his side. Her eyes widened and she looked up to see him peering at her as he adjusted his grip. She was pulled flush against his side and his arm lay curled around her shoulders. She was distracted for just a second, but that was enough to miss the warning signs of the scare. She yelped and clapped her hands painfully over her ears at the loud bang from the screen.

From behind them she heard Alice let out a shriek and from the corner of her eye, she saw Souma startle. She felt Ryo's chest rumble as he chuckled quietly and she had a feeling it was on her expense. Even if that was the case, she decided to forgive him since his arm remained around her shoulders even as the scene changed. His warm and steady presence was comforting in the darkness of the room, and she discreetly shifted closer to him. From the way he smirked down at her, face only half illuminated by the screen light, he had noticed. Instead of saying anything, he merely draped half of his blanket over Megumi's lap and leaned back to enjoy the movie.

True to his word, Ryo offered his hand for her to hold as the movie got progressively scarier and Megumi found that clenching his hand made it easier to get through the scares. His arm never once left her shoulders, but every time the scenes got too gore-y, he would reach up and cover her eyes while she blocked off her ears. She was immensely grateful for him then and promised herself to bake him another brownie soon.

At one point almost half-way through the movie, he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "That one guy kind of looks like Yukihira." He inclined his head at a close up of one of the more airheaded characters, and Megumi almost snorted at the comparison.

After that she couldn't unsee it and had to fight not to burst out laughing at his occasional comments, just loud enough for her to hear. Thank god the speakers in the media room were so loud, otherwise their friends would have been disturbed by his whispered warnings of 'No Yukihira, don't go down the stairs' or 'Put the locket down Yukihira, didn't your father teach not to touch cursed jewelry?'. Ryo kept up his commentary almost to the end of the movie and Megumi was sufficiently distracted, though she still tensed from time to time.

Finally, the credits started rolling and she breathed a sigh of relief when the lights turned back on. Instantly chatter broke out among them as they all shared their thoughts.

"See that wasn't so bad." Ryo said and finally removed his arm from her shoulder, ending their side-hug. No longer feeling jittery, Megumi stretched out her legs that had been folded under her until now. "I don't even know how much of it I actually watched." She admitted sheepishly.

"Hm, it's a good thing Yukihira survived." Ryo whispered and this time Megumi couldn't hold back her laughter. Ryo patted her head again and it was then she realized how much they had been touching for the past two hours. She felt her face grow hot, but not nearly as much as she would normally have. In less than a week she had grown used to Ryo's presence, and she no longer felt as shy or awkward in close proximity to him.

"Ooh, what are you two whispering about?" Alice's face popped up right next to Megumi, causing her to jump once more. "Nothing!" She hurriedly replied, trying to calm her racing heart. She really couldn't let down her guard around Alice.

"Is that so?" Alice hummed thoughtfully, but got distracted by something Hayama said about the movie. Ryo and Megumi chose to get off the floor and stretch their legs, when Souma came up to them. "That was pretty good, huh?" He asked as he finished the rest of his finger food. "Though I enjoyed the food more than the movie."

"It wasn't terrible." Ryo conceded. He started picking up the blankets and pillows that were scattered around the floor and Megumi helped out, returning the things to their respective baskets and handing them over to Ryo, who promptly left the room. Despite sitting on the floor for the better part of two hours, her back and legs didn't feel too stiff.

"How are you doing Tadokoro? Was it okay for you?" Souma asked her, genuine concern in his voice.

"Huh? Oh yeah, it was fine. I didn't get too scared." She laughed awkwardly, remembering the last time they had watched horror at the dorm and how she had been scared out of her mind. It had been way easier this time with Ryo distracting her.

"That's good," he sounded relieved. "I was worried there for a second, but when I saw you and Kurokiba all cuddled up, I figured you would be fine." Souma grinned and patted her back good-naturedly. Megumi sputtered something unintelligible at his phrasing. "I-"

"Yukihira-kun, how about that cook off we talked about yesterday?" Alice interrupted smoothly, once again appearing next to Megumi out of thin air. Souma brightened considerably at the challenge and forgot his previous conversation, all pumped up and ready to go. "You're on!" Megumi silently thanked Alice for swooping in, and she didn't miss the wink that was sent her way as Alice turned and led Yukihira out of the room.

Ryo returned just in time to overhear the word 'challenge', and as if a switch was flipped, he got fired up and promptly challenged Hayama to another battle. Hayama sighed, already having anticipated such a scenario, but agreed and followed the others out. Megumi wasn't surprised either when Ryo donned his bandana and declared war on his fellow chef.


	13. Chapter 13

For Megumi it had been a pretty long day already, but her friends seemed to be full of energy and were duking it out against each other in the recesses of Alice's kitchen. She was seated off to the side, having been asked to judge the two battles. Her eyes felt dry and irritated from being up so early and her shoulders were also starting to feel tense. She couldn't wait to take a hot shower and then go to bed. 

Deciding that she had sat still for too long, Megumi hopped off the stool and headed for Souma's station. He perked up when she approached, always ready for a quick chat.

"What's up Tadokoro, are you feeling bored?" He asked knowingly as he strained a pot.

"Yeah, I figured I should find out what you were all making." Megumi took a closer look at his work space noticing the makings of a pasta dish. There were some rather… interesting ingredients on

"You'd find out soon anyway." Souma pointed out and reached for a glass bowl with chopped mushrooms that he tossed onto a hot pan with some oil. Souma's counter and Megumi had a feeling she was going to be a guinea pig for a new, disgusting dish. Maybe the others would try it with her?

"If I stayed in the seat any longer, I would have merged with it." Megumi laughed. Her curiosity sated, Megumi left Souma to work and headed for Alice next.

"Megumi! What a pleasant surprise." Alice smiled softly, her focus on forming perfect ravioli. The blonde's hands were moving at great speed, but never once messed up the shape of each pocket. Megumi could see some interesting twists to the typical spinach and cheese ravioli and felt excited at the prospect of tasting Alice's dish.

"I hope I'm not bothering you?" She felt a little awkward going from one chef to another, but she really needed to get up and move.

"Not at all! I just thought you would have liked to rest. You've been up since forever." Alice smiled again, this time mischievously, and started spooning the prepared filling into the pasta pockets.

"Well, yes. It's been a long time since I went to the fish market." She admitted sheepishly, knowing that Alice often accompanied their resident seafood expert.

"You'll have to get used to it again. From now on, I'm counting on you to go with Ryo-kun." She teased lightly as Megumi made to go visit Hayama on the next counter.

"I'll do my best!" Megumi promised, having already decided to hone her skills and leech of Ryo's expertise whenever she could. She probably wouldn't be able to get up early every day, but she was willing to try.

Hayama, too, didn't seem surprised by Megumi dropping by.

"Shouldn't you be relaxing, Tadokoro? You seemed like you might faint during the movie." His lips quirked up as Megumi blanched at the reminder.

"I've never been good with scary stuff." She explained, trying to forget the entire experience. She heard him let out a huff of amusement before he adjusted his cutting board.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." He replied and grabbed a knife to cut the lamb roast in front of him into smaller pieces. As expected, he already had an assortment of spices picked out in tiny glass bowls around his counter. Megumi could see and smell garlic, turmeric, cloves, coriander and nutmeg amongst others.

"What are you making Hayama-kun?" She asked curiously, eyes roaming over his ingredients. Ginger, chicken broth, onions and tomato paste as well as apricots, mint and almonds. Did he really have enough time to cook everything or was it just going to boil down to a stew?

"Moroccan lamb tagine with couscous." He smirked at her troubled expression, knowing that she was worried about the amount of time it would take.

"My broth is still cooling, but I should get started on cooking the lamb." Hayama stirred the saucepan on his stove and tasted the contents, looking satisfied.

"Of course, I'll leave you to it." Megumi bid him bye and set her course for the last occupant in the room.

Ryo had something simmering in a pot and was diligently chopping up herbs when Megumi walked over. He glanced up briefly as she approached, still focused on his dish. Not wanting to disturb him, she almost returned to her previous chair, but he called out to her before she could leave.

"Megumi." She turned to look at him and saw he had pulled out a chair for her at the end of the counter. "Sit." His tone wasn't commanding, it came out more as an invitation and she took the offered seat without any complaints.

"Am I distracting you?" She asked tentatively. She was relieved when he shook his head and started mixing his herb butter.

"What dish are you making?" She asked as she surveyed Ryo's counter after taking a seat. She spotted a whole leg of lamb, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin and black pepper corns, but she didn't know what dish he was going for.

"Korean crusted lamb roast." Ryo replied and reached for a cutting board before grabbing carrots and lettuce and setting them aside. He started cutting up some red chili peppers that he added to a glass bowl with some soy sauce, mirin and honey.

Megumi noticed that even with his bandana on, he wasn't as fired up as he usually was. Or well, he wasn't as loud or brash as normal, but his intense focus on his dish was the same as always. Surprisingly, she found herself content to watch while Ryo worked. It was fascinating to study his technique up close and she marvelled at the fact that she was allowed in his space now. Aside from Alice, she doubted anyone else would be able to sit and watch like this. He glanced at her occasionally as if to see if she was still there, but otherwise didn't say anything.

Over the sounds of sizzling meat, stirring of pots and washing of dishes Megumi could hear Souma, Alice and Hayama conversing as they worked, and figured now would be a good time to ask Ryo about Hisako's absence. There was no guarantee that he knew anything about it, but he was incredibly observant and might have noticed or overheard something. She just needed an opening.

Ryo could tell before Megumi even opened her mouth that something was on her mind. It was evident in the way her face scrunched up in thought from time to time, and how her eyes darted around the kitchen to see if the others were watching them. As he fine tuned his marinade and coated the lab with it, he could feel her eyes on him again. He had noticed her watching his cutting technique moments prior, but this felt different.

"What's on your mind?" He finally caved and asked. Megumi seemed startled that he addressed her. Maybe she didn't think he had been watching her. He reached for cabbage and started shredding it while she got her thoughts organised. She finally looked up and spoke slowly.

"I was wondering if you knew why Arato-san didn't show up today?" She watched as Ryo's hands stilled and a contemplative look came over his features. He resumed chopping after a moment, but cast a covert look around to see if any of the others were close by, but they all stayed at their respective stations. His eyes came to rest on Megumi and he lowered his voice before replying.

"You weren't the only one whose heart was broken, when Yukihira and Miss Erina started going out," he paused to gauge her reaction. Truthfully, he didn't know whether or not to tell her the next bit, but Megumi looked genuinely worried about Arato. Maybe it would be best to settle for a semi-cryptic response. "Arato has been by Erina's side since they were children, it must have been quite the blow for her." Or maybe not.

"Oh…" Megumi breathed out, understanding passing over her. "I had no idea." It made sense. She had never met anyone as devoted to their role as Hisako was to helping Erina.

"I think it would be hard to spot. She's a pro at keeping up appearances."

"True, but she seemed kind of distant yesterday," she frowned. She could hardly recall interacting with Hisako the previous day. It was like she had faded into the background during the party. Well, Megumi had been a tad preoccupied with her own situation, so she hadn't paid much attention to the secretary. Megumi could feel Ryo's analyzing gaze on her and looked up to meet his eye, where she saw him come to a decision.

"It's just a hunch." Ryo clarified. He was pretty damn sure his hunch was correct, but it wasn't really his place to keep discussing Arato's feelings when she seemed to be concealing them. Megumi nodded, still thinking hard. "Right."

Seconds later, Ryo watched Megumi's posture relax and a small smile form on her face. "I can't wait to try your dish." Her smile was infectious and Ryo fought to stay focused and not grin at her like an idiot. How was this girl able to be so upbeat? He shook his head and informed her that she would have to wait awhile for it to finish.

"Hey no fair, Kurokiba! No bribing the judge!" Souma complained and waved a ladle around in the air, shouting about bias and injustice from across the kitchen.

"Could you stop yelling?" Hayama asked and pulled something from the oven, the steam momentarily obscuring his face. "It's not like he's actually bribing her." He continued to mutter under his breath.

"Hah? No judge worth their salt would let their relationships influence their judging." Ryo declared loudly and finished shredding the cabbage before grabbing the carrots to repeat the process. "Megumi won't be biased." He added and glanced at the girl at the end of his counter. Her cheeks were tinged with pink and her eyes were blown wide with surprise from his sudden praise.

"Megumi is the least biased person I know." Alice supplied helpfully from her own corner and started frying something.

"Hmm yeah, it is Tadokoro we're talking about…" Souma finally conceded. "Oh did I ever tell you about the time Tsukasa-senpai and I-" He proceeded to describe the informal shokugeki against the former 1st seat, catching the attention of the three other chefs. Megumi used that opportunity to calm down. Did it really only take one compliment to get her heart racing? She was getting used to people acknowledging her skills, but being praised by her fellow Elite 10 members made her feel shy.

Ryo must have noticed her trying to hide her face since he suddenly reached over and gently knocked her head as he had done earlier that day. Deciding that her heart had raced enough for the day, she focused on calming her breathing.

* * *

Less than an hour later, Megumi had four steaming dishes in front of her. Souma and Alice went first with their pasta dishes. Souma had presented a garlic mushroom pasta that looked deceptively normal, but Megumi's instincts and Souma's grinning face told her to watch out for something weird. As soon as she bit into it, her mouth was flooded with the taste of licorice and she nearly gagged. With great difficulty and a large glass of water handed to her by Hayama, Megumi finished her bite and quickly moved on to Alice's dish, ravioli with spinach and ricotta cheese, fried to perfection.

The ravioli were golden and crispy, and their aroma was enticing. They tasted wonderful and it was unanimously agreed that it was the better of the two dishes.

Souma didn't look saddened by the loss and agreed that Alice's ravioli was amazing after having a bite. "Well of course it was," Alice bragged with a light tone.

Next up were Ryo and Hayama, who had both chosen lamb as their topic. Ryo's lamb roast was delicious, but it was Hayama's dish that Megumi wanted more of. The sweetness of the apricots elevated the entire dish and she found herself enthralled.

"I agree with Megumi," Alice declared after having a taste. Ryo made an annoyed sound as he shoveled the lamb and couscous into his mouth. "Hmph."

"Another win for me." Hayama taunted, which only set Ryo off. Luckily Alice's deft fingers snagged off the bandana, instantly deflating Ryo. He didn't skulk per se, but he wasn't indifferent either.

"It's been a while since we last did a shokugeki, Tadokoro. What do you say we have one tomorrow?" Souma suggested excitedly, completely missing how she stiffened in her seat.

"Oh, um-" Megumi desperately thought of something to say. It had been over a month since she had last faced Souma and she didn't plan on accepting his challenge anytime soon. Her penalty for losing was to be his test subject for a week and she had barely made it out alive the last time.

"Oi Megumi, next time you're gonna battle me and I won't go easy on you." Ryo promised darkly. She remembered Ryo saying something about trying the food in some of the videos yesterday, but there had been no mention of a showdown.

"I, uh-" She knew that Ryo wanted to have a rematch ever since the Autumn Festival- even though he won - but she didn't know how to decline when he was emitting his scary aura.

"No fair, I also want to have a Shokugeki with Megumi!" Alice whined, which led to a new argument breaking out over who would get to battle Megumi first.

Megumi didn't know what was going on any more.

* * *

It wasn't much later that she felt exhaustion creeping up on her as they finished cleaning the kitchen. Her shoulders felt tense and there was a spot on her lower back that was getting sore. They had all moved to the lounge and she finally took a seat. She ended up on an armchair next to Ryo's, and across from her were Alice, Hayama and Souma.

The Nakiri chefs had been kind enough to send over a chilled dessert that they all enjoyed after the intense cooking battle. It was a layered dessert with a brownie bottom, a vanilla cream in the middle and a light, airy chocolate mousse on top and it was divine. Even Hayama, who wasn't the biggest fan of sweets, agreed that it was a great dessert. Alice looked rather pleased at his appraisal.

Ryo looked content as he slowly chipped away at the different layers. He would take one bite of each layer, and then on the fourth bite he would scoop a little of everything onto his spoon. Megumi didn't know if he was aware of it, but she was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"I could eat this all day." Ryo told her as the others talked about a new movie that was coming out soon.

"I'm sure you would replace all your meals with desserts if you could." She fought hard not to laugh at his ritualistic eating. "At this point I'm pretty sure that your blood consists of syrup." She added.

Ryo sent her a half-hearted glare before diving back into his dessert. A few seconds passed before he muttered his reply. "Maybe I should have asked Hayama to be my boyfriend. At least he wouldn't shame me for enjoying desserts." She was pretty sure he would.

"I'm sorry," Megumi apologised with a laugh. Ryo grumbled, but kept eating, which she took as a sign that he wasn't actually offended. Now, though, Ryo had put an image in her mind of himself and Hayama being on a date, but arguing about everything all day long. She told him this and he snorted, agreeing that it probably wouldn't have worked out.

"Luckily, you're the one I'm dating." He smirked and pinched her cheek, which she admittedly deserved for teasing him. Rubbing her cheek, she glanced at the time and was surprised to see that it had gotten later than she thought. Taking another bite of her own dessert, she decided it was time to take her leave.

"Ryo-kun, I was thinking that I should probably head home after this." Megumi told him. She had not expected her first date to last all day, even if she had been having fun for most of it. She had enjoyed spending time with Ryo and it definitely felt easier and more natural to be around him now.

"Do you want me to take you home?" He offered, finishing his dessert with one last, heaping spoonful.

"Oh no, I can go back by myself. I'm just starting to feel a little tired, but the walk should help wake me up again." Megumi insisted. She didn't want him to go all the way to her dorm and back, when he hadn't gotten any more time to rest. He had even stayed awake through a movie and a cooking match, but he must have been feeling tired by now. She was very impressed with his ability to function normally on very little sleep.

"It's getting late, Megumi. I'm not letting you walk home alone." Ryo countered, looking ready to argue.

"What's that Megumi, you are heading home?" Alice asked, having overheard the last bit.

"Um, yes. I'm starting to feel a little tired." She explained sheepishly.

"Why don't you just spend the night? I can have a guest room prepared for you." Alice offered. It wouldn't take much time to set up a room.

"I couldn't possibly impose any longer!" Megumi declined politely. She just wanted to get home, take a shower and crawl into her bed. Tomorrow was Sunday, so she had to catch up on laundry and some paperwork.

"If you're sure…" Alice looked skeptical, but didn't argue any further.

"Miss, I was just about to take Megumi home, maybe we should call it a night?" Ryo suggested, noting that it was already evening.

"You're right, but it's been so much fun! Even Hayama-kun was having a blast." Alice beamed, even as Hayama scoffed. He had been forced to come by Jun. He did enjoy the movie and winning over Kurokiba, but he was not going to admit that out loud. "I should also get going-"

"Tadokoro are you getting ready to head home? You can ride with me, I have an extra helmet for my scooter." Souma also joined in on the conversation and completely talked over Hayama. "I just gotta say bye to Nakiri real quick then we can go."

"That would be great." She thanked him and he left in search of Erina, while the remaining four decided to make their way to the front door.

"I guess that worked itself out." Alice commented lightly. She was a little annoyed that Erina hadn't returned at all, but she was aware that her cousin had a lot of work to do at the moment.

Ryo turned to Megumi with something resembling a frown on his face. "Are you sure you want to go with Yukihira? Isn't he a reckless driver?"

"It's fine, Souma-kun drives safely. Besides we're both going to the same place, it wouldn't make sense not to go together," she reasoned before grabbing hold of his arm. "And you've been up since early morning, you should get some sleep soon."

"Megumi's suggestion sounds more like a scolding." Alice snickered behind her hands. Her snickering spread to Hayma who snorted in amusement and opened the door, taking his leave first. Alice waved as he called out a farewell and disappeared from view. Ryo huffed to himself, and then turned his attention to Megumi who let go of his arm.

"I'll go to bed soon, but text me when you get home so I know you made it back in one piece." Ryo brushed her bangs back from her face as he spoke and she suppressed a shiver at the tickling sensation.

"I will. Thank you for today, I had a great time." She told him, feeling shy all of a sudden. It didn't help at all that Ryo bent down to kiss her forehead once again, while Alice watched them. "Yeah, so did I." Megumi held her breath, having anticipated it because of Alice's presence and was happy that she didn't run away or hide her face.

Souma chose that moment to return to their little group and rescue her. "Stop flirting, you two, and let's go Tadokoro!" He called out to them. There was a skip in his step as he made his way over and a wide grin was on his face. Alice smiled knowingly in his direction and he winked at her.

"Whatever, just make sure you drive safely." Ryo stressed, looking unimpressed at Souma's cheerful mood.

"Yes yes, I'll make sure your girlfriend is safe." Souma promised and led Megumi out of the doors. She stumbled a bit at the sudden movement, but righted herself as she turned to face Alice and Ryo.

"Have a good night, Ryo-kun, Alice-san." She waved.

"You too, come by again soon!" Alice called after them.

The ride back to the dorm was uneventful and passed by in a blur. Souma made good on his promise and drove safely, so they were able to chit chat about everything from their Elite 10 work to what they had recently seen on TV. As soon as Souma's scooter was parked and they were inside, Megumi beelined for her room. After a quick shower, she finally went to bed. The last thing she noticed before she fell asleep was that Ryo's scent had lingered on her pillow.


End file.
